


They Live On

by GoobleGoble



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/M, Mental Instability, Slow Romance, Spoilers for season 5 TWD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-03-19 07:32:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 41,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3601617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoobleGoble/pseuds/GoobleGoble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place after Coda, will be AU, but will try to follow parts of the show. Will focus on the pain and recovery of Daryl Dixon, after the loss of Merle and Beth. FOC will be introduced.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Daryl was going through the motions, Rick needed him, Judith needed him, and the group needed him. He concentrated on what needed to be done and did it. He was willing to take all the risks necessary to keep the rest of them alive. What happened to him, he didn't care much anymore. Every quiet moment was filled with the faces of the two people he loved and lost.

Merle, the big brother, who was more trouble than anything else, no one could ever really understand why Merle was the way he was, but Daryl did. Merle was a survivor; he would have made it to a ripe old age if it hadn't been for him. He sacrificed himself to save his little brother, a selflessness Daryl didn't know the older man possessed, he guessed he didn't know a lot of things about Merle, and now he never would.

And Beth, the light in the darkness, she made him hope when he thought everything was gone. She was the one good person left in his world, the one that hadn't been corrupted. What did she get for it? A bullet in the head. For a second she had faltered, she had let the darkness control her; maybe it was a mercy she had gone. Beth would never have wanted to become that person. Daryl would never want to see that in her. His Beth so strong and brave, smiling and offering comfort whenever needed, no strings attached. He would never find that again.

He pushed the thoughts away, and turned to scan the area the group was walking through. His eyes brushed over Carol, at least one of them had made it out, he was to numb to be truly happy, but he was relieved. Next to her was Maggie, she looked like he felt, hopeless, dead inside, a walking shell. Glenn was beside her, trying to offer comfort, a lost cause, because Maggie could walk off the edge of a cliff and not notice.

Daryl turned and faced the front again. His group was back together, but they were in bad shape. He felt Rick's eyes on him.

"There's a big house further down, we can stay there the night." Rick told him, when he finally turned to face him.

"Yep." Daryl grunted.

"You, Sasha, Tyreese and Glenn, check out the inside. Michonne, Carol, Tara and me will circle round the house; make sure the outside is safe.

"Give Tyreese the baby, Glenn, Sasha, an me can clear the house ourselves. Better if Judith has both his and Carl's eyes on her while we get this done. Gabriel and Eugene will most likely stay with 'em too."

"You don't trust him?"

"I do, to watch over Judith. He don't got the stomach for much else."

He could see Tyreese behind them, most likely overhearing their conversation, but he wasn't about to mince words. They had lost too much to worry about coddling people. Beth would have done it, but she was gone. He didn't have time to babysit weaklings. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, now he sounded like Merle. He willed his brain to shut up; it was like he was being haunted. Instead of ghostly specters appearing in the forest around him, they were appearing in his head. The ghosts of Merle and Beth, never knowing what might trigger an appearance from either.

The newer members of the group were walking further behind them Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, Gabriel and Noah. Rick hadn't taken to assigning them jobs yet. Noah was still injured. Daryl tried not to hate the boy. Gabriel and Eugene were useless when it came to these things and Abraham and Rosita usually did their own thing, which consisted of walking behind them going over covered ground and watching their back. It would have to change soon, Rick was there leader, but for now it worked. Glenn and Tara being the only ones that floated from group to group.

"Are you alright Daryl?"

"M'fine" they had shit to do, it wasn't time to sit on the couch and chit chat about feelings.

Rick nodded, the man knew. He'd lost his wife, thought he'd lost his daughter. Rick was an animal, a strong leader that Daryl was happy to follow. Merle would have liked this new Rick. He shook his head again.

"I'll get Sasha an Glenn, go up ahead." Rick nodded his approval, removing Judith's carrier and calling Tyreese over.

He grabbed Sasha and Glenn, explained their part and motioned them to walk ahead. Glenn agreed with only a worried glance at Maggie.

"She'll stay with Carl and Tyrees, safer I think."

Glen nodded and walked ahead. Sasha gave him an examining look then followed.

The house looked like something out of a horror movie, all pointy steeples and fancy scrolls. He half expected to find a crumbling cemetery nearby, a flash of Beth on his back as they moved between gravestones. Daryl clenched his teeth Not now Beth.

The first floor of the house was surprisingly easy to clear. The place looked like it belonged to an old couple and everywhere Daryl went he was reminded of Merle and Beth. In the sitting room was an old large piano – Beth. The living room held a large bookcase with WWII memorabilia – Merle. The kitchen was a bright cheery yellow – Beth. On top of the fridge were two bottles of whiskey full and unopened – Merle. It was too much, Daryl felt like the universe was out to drive him insane, it certainly couldn't beat him over the head with his losses much more.

They headed up stairs, Daryl went left, Glenn went right and Sasha took the middle. Daryl cleared the first room, the master and moved on to the second room. It was smaller, looked like it might have belonged to a girl, it was clean, too clean, someone had been staying here. He gave a quick little whistle, before he began searching the room. Almost immediately he found the occupant in the closet. He had opened the door to find a young woman curled up on the floor. She looked up at him in shock, he froze, she had Beth's big blue eyes. She lunged at him with a primal scream a buck knife in her hands. Daryl moved on instinct, narrowly avoiding her attack. He caught her arm, pinning it behind her back, he brought his other arm around her neck.

Sasha burst in the room a second later, ready to put a bullet in the girls head. Glenn was right behind her.

"No wait!" Daryl stopped them. He tried to see his companions through a face full of curly brown hair. Sasha lowered the gun slightly; Glenn kept his knife up just in case.

"You here alone girl?" Daryl questioned.

"Yes," she answered in a raspy voice, clearly she hadn't talked in a while.

"I'm lettin' you go. Don't be stupid." Daryl slowly removed his arm from around her neck, and released her arm, taking the knife as he went. He picked up his crossbow and stepped away from the woman.

She was medium height, thin, it looked like she hadn't eaten very well in the past year and a half or so, but that wasn't what grabbed Daryl's attention. She looked like Beth and Merle together as one. If they had, had a child of their own, it would be this woman here. She looked to be around 25, pale with big blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, a head full of beautifully curly hair and a slight frame. Daryl's heart stopped.

"What's your name?" Glenn asked.

"Mer…ughmm..Meryl." she croaked out.

"Merle?" Daryl felt his blood run cold. She shook her head,

"No, Meryl. Like the actress, gran said mom was a fan." Her voice was getting better, but it was still a bit gravelly.

"You can join us, we have a group. You can join us." Sasha looked at him sharply, Glenn shook his head slightly. Daryl looked them both in the eye, he wasn't negotiating this, he had to know this girl. It was too much, all the thoughts and signs lately. It was too much, and now this girl. He had to know, what this was about. He could feel the ghosts of Merle and Beth itching around his consciousness; they wanted him to do this.

Maybe he was going insane, chasing hallucinations like Rick, he didn't know and he didn't care. It was too much.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meryl makes a decision

“What is this, Daryl?” Rick looked concerned. He and Daryl were out on the front porch, whispering to each other.  
“She weighs, what 100lb? She ain’t gonna do nothin’ to us. We could help her.” Daryl growled back.  
The woman was sitting on the couch, being guarded by Rosita and Abraham, both had said they had no problem adding the woman to the group.  
“I’m not saying no, but you didn’t think to ask any questions? You didn’t even try to find out her story. It’s sloppy Daryl and it isn’t like you. So I ask again, what is this?”  
The rest of the group was in the Kitchen, awaiting Rick’s decision. Daryl glanced at them through the window, before turning back to Rick. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, how could he explain this without sounding insane. Rick dipped his head, trying to catch his eye.  
“Daryl?”  
“I can’t explain, Rick. It feels right. Can’t that be enough? I ain’t never asked you for nothin’.”  
Rick looked away before nodding. “Alright, let’s find out who she is.”  
Daryl nodded his thank you. They made their way to the living room, the girl Meryl stood up. The fear in her eyes was evident, but she was trying hard to put up a brave front. Daryl admired that about her.  
“I’m Rick, you’ve already met Daryl. I just need to ask you some questions.” Rick stood in front of the girl. She didn’t answer, looking back and forth between each man with her large eyes.  
Rick saw it then, what Daryl was seeing. The doe eyes, the small frame, a representation of Beth, then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Her cheek bones sharp, hair wild, Merle was in there too. Rick was never well versed in the little nuances of emotions. Lori and him always missing each other, she was no saint, he could admit that now, but he knew his faults. He felt many emotions, he just couldn’t always express them, process them, understand them. Daryl was much the same. This was the way for his friend, his brother, to process, to survive. He wasn’t a spiritual man, but this was a blessing, if she wasn’t a threat.   
He let out a sigh and sat on the couch, motioning the woman to do the same. She looked at Daryl, before sitting down next to him. They had a connection already, he knew to Daryl it was something deeper, like fate, to the woman it was most likely that Daryl was the first person to show her a bit of kindness. They were treading on fragile ground.  
“How long have you been here?” he asked, sensing Daryl stepping closer to them.  
“A long time, the calendar ran out. This is my home.” Her voice was gravelly. She wouldn’t quite look at him, something he would have flagged as a sign of deception, but in her it looked as if she wasn’t use to people. She was scared but not the right kind of scared. It was a fear of the unknown, not of danger.  
“The older people,” he gestured at the photos. “They were your grandparents?”  
She nodded. “We were here when it all started, we saw the news. Papa boarded the windows. He…he and Mama, they killed themselves four months in. I’ve been alone ever since.”  
“You didn’t” Daryl asked.  
“They didn’t even tell me, they were going to. I buried them outside. Those things, the dead people they came, but if I’m quiet, they go away.”  
“There are graves outside, I saw them.” Tara said from the doorway, Carol beside her nodded.  
Rick tilted his head and looked at the woman. “You haven’t left this place? All this time you’ve been here?”  
“Yes, Mama liked to make preserves, I still have some left in the basement. We had a garden, I haven’t been tending it, I’ve never been good at it. I stay inside and sleep in the closet in case the dead people make it in.”  
“No live people have come?” It was hard to believe.  
“No, I thought I was alone.”  
“That’s a miracle, you’re lucky.” Daryl told her.  
“Lucky? To be alone so long, it doesn’t seem lucky.” Rick noticed she did look at Daryl head on, she wasn’t afraid of him.  
“People can be worse than the biters.” Rick brought her attention back to him.  
“Biters?” she asked him curiously. She was starting to get more comfortable with him too, her eyes meeting his for a few seconds before wandering off.  
“The dead people.” He answered. “Do you know about them? How to kill them?”  
“The news said it had to be in the head. Papa and Mama, that’s how they went. “I’ve never been close to one of the….biters. I hide and I’m quiet and they move on.”  
“You want to survive?” Daryl watched her closely. She had to want it.  
“I’ve been surviving, even though I thought I was the only one left.”  
Daryl nodded his approval and looked at Rick, a silent communication passing between them.  
“You need to learn to fight if you want to survive. I could teach you.” If he could just save this woman, maybe it would be ok.  
“Fight? Fight what?” she asked him, her brow scrunched up in confusion.  
“The dead and the living. Daryl was right, you’ve been lucky, you’re still lucky. We aren’t looking to hurt you, it’s not always the case.”   
“Not always the case.” She murmured almost to herself, like the thought had never crossed her mind.  
“We’ve lost people, most of the time it was cause of other people.”  
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Rick motioned to Daryl.  
“We’ll let you think. You don’t need to come with us if you don’t want to.” Rick noticed Daryl look at him sharply. “But there’s safety in numbers, we’re a family, we help each other. That is how we survive and it’s how you will survive, if you want.”  
He put his arm around Daryl and led him out. “Abraham, Rosita will you come with us.” The pair followed them into the kitchen.   
The group was silent as they waited. Daryl paced, trying to keep from bursting in the living room. She was taking too long.   
“Can I speak to Daryl…..alone.” her voice from the door way, stopped him in his tracks.  
“Of course.” Rick smiled at her, getting a small unsure smile in return. Daryl quickly made his way past her, he stepped deeper into the living room, as far from the kitchen as he could get. He was nervous, unsure of what to do if she said no.  
“I’m sorry, I tried to stab you….I was asleep….I thought maybe you were a dead person….a biter.”  
“That ain’t nothin’ to be sorry about. Not anymore.”  
“Is it really that bad out there?”   
“Yes.” There was no point in sugar coating it.   
“I want to go with you. I want to survive. I need your help.”  
Daryl let out a relived breath.   
“Rick.” He called to their leader. Rick appeared beside them quickly. “Merle wants to join.”  
“Meryl.” She corrected.  
“Meryl.” He swallowed.


	3. Chapter 3

Meryl stayed close to the man named Daryl. He didn’t seem to mind, in fact he seemed to prefer it, following her if she strayed too far. It was strange to have all these people in her home. Before, the dead came Meryl and her grandparents had mostly kept to themselves. Her grandparents raised her when her mother died of an overdose when she was two, she had never known who her father was. They were loving but strict, they were determined to keep her from becoming her mother. She was home-schooled and a bit awkward around large groups of people.

Daryl made her comfortable, he didn’t try to get her to talk too much, and she was content to sit quietly next to him. She shared what she had, the group ate quietly, all lost in the pleasure of finally getting something inside their bellies. The questions about herself started as soon as everyone finished their food.

Meryl answered their questions honestly and concisely, small talk was never her strong point. She could tell some of her guest were turned off by her personality (or lack thereof). Tara walked off with a shrug after trying to engage her in a conversation about movies, something Meryl didn’t know much about. They only ever had basic cable, she spent most of her time reading or quilting, something her grandmother taught her.

They had been sitting on the couch quietly for half an hour before Daryl began asking questions.

“Do you have any fighting experience?”

“No, I’ve never fought anyone or anything. I never had too. I’m probably not going to be the best pupil.”

“You can learn, if Beth could learn, you can.” He told her with a small nod.

“Which one is Beth? I’m terrible with names.” She looked around at the women in the group. They all looked pretty tough, maybe it was the sad looking, pretty brunette.

“She’s dead.” His voice was flat.

“I’m so sorry. I ….” She let her sentence fall. What could she say? It didn’t fare well either for her, if she was compared to a woman who died.

“It just happened, it was people not walkers. First thing you gotta do is not be so trustin’. We could have been bad people. People are worse, worse that the geeks.”

Walkers, Biters and Geeks they had so many names for the dead people. The world sounded like a nightmare, she was starting to wonder if she even had a chance.

“Was she your wife?”

“No, Beth was….I met her after tha world went ta shit. Her and her daddy we lost, Maggie there,” he gestured to the pretty brunette. “is her sister. They were good people, didn’t mix with my kind before.”

“Your kind?” she thought he seemed nice, he offered to help her without a second thought. Rick was obviously the leader of this group, but he seemed to look to this man for advice. That had to mean he was intelligent. Was she that bad a judge of character?

“I wasn’t much ‘for this.”

“Seems like your important now. You saved me, I think your friend might have shot me if not for you.”

_He saved her, she might have been shot, shot in the head like Beth, or maybe the heart like Merle and he would have had to put her down._ Daryl’s heart clenched, he was starting on the right foot, at least.

“They’re good people, we just been through a lot. If you want me to teach ya I ain’t gonna make it easy. You need to learn a lot and fast. We can’t stay here more than a couple a days. I’m gonna hunt tomorrow, you can come and learn if you can be quiet.”

“I can be quiet.” The thought of staying in the house with these people made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them or want to join them. She just didn’t know what to do with a whole group of strangers. She had been planning on leaving soon, now that winter was ending, she was going to try and find other people. She thought this group was good to leave with, they seemed like decent people and Daryl felt familiar to her, whatever she could learn from them, she would.

Daryl surprised himself by offering to take her hunting with him. He always went alone, but he didn’t want to leave her behind. The thought of teaching her to hunt was also appealing, he use to hunt with Merle it would be nice to have a partner again, IF she showed promise.

Rick walked into the living room where they were sitting.

“We’re grateful for your hospitality Meryl, I don’t want to step on your toes but we need to figure out who’s sleeping where.”

“You guys are welcome to any room in the house. We got four bedrooms including mine.”

“We’ll we won’t take your room from you, but with your permission we’ll set up in the other three and here in the living room.”

“Yes, that is ok. I guess I can finally sleep in my bed at night again. It will be nice.” She smiled at Rick, he gave her a good feeling. She felt like she could trust him.

“Thank you,” he smiled back. “Daryl you mind takin’ first watch? I want to get everyone situated then I’ll relieve you.”

“Yeah, Merl..uh..Meryl, do you mind if I stay in your room, on the floor of course.” He wanted to be near her to watch over her.

“I don’t mind Daryl, there’s enough room for someone else too, maybe one of the woman would like to share the bed, it’s only a full size, but none of us here are very big.”

“I’ll ask around and let you know, thank you again for letting us stay.” He left to talk to the rest of the group.

“He’s a good man, a good leader.” Daryl told her, as she watched him walk away.

“I feel that, somehow. Are you two related?”

“No, I had my brother Merle, he sacrificed himself to save this group from a lunatic.”

“Is that why you call me Merle?”

“Sorry.” Daryl mumbled embarrassed.

“It’s ok, you can call me Em if you like, if it will make it easier. It’s what my grandparents use to call me. They always hated my name. I’m sorry about your brother.” She finished weakly.

“It’s a good name,” he mumbled again, “But it would make it easier.” He said a little bit louder.

“Thanks, when you guys say take watch does that mean you take turns looking out for the dead?”

“Yes, one or two ain’t bad, but if you get a herd or people things can get ugly quick.”

“A herd, like four or five? They usually go away if they don’t hear anything.”

“Naw, I mean like a hundred of them things.”

Em’s eyes widened. She had never seen so many, the thought alone was terrifying. The things these people must have been through. She turned away from him and noticed some of the group watching them closely, a mixture of curiosity and distrust on their faces. She supposed that was understandable all things considering.

“I’m going to go to my room now, you could get yourself situated and ask one of the women if they would like to share the bed with me. You would know better than me, who would be comfortable with that.”

“I think Rick will handle that, but I’ll put my stuff in your room for now.”

She nodded getting up from the couch, she would need to bring out the extra quilts and pillows for the people who chose to stay in the living room.

“I’ll be up in a bit.” Daryl told her, he needed to talk to Rick first. She nodded and headed upstairs.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Rick was in the kitchen with Michonne, Glenn, Rosita and Abraham looking over a map. Daryl walked in and leaned on the counter.

“What do you think Daryl?” Rick asked.

“Don’t much matter to me. We got the whole country to choose from, I’m guessin’ it’s the same everywhere.”

“There’s still a chance Eugene was right about D.C.” Rosita chimed in. Daryl noticed the quick snarl that flashed across Abrahams face.

“Don’t see the harm in tryin’ I guess.” He answered, Rick nodded.

“No, no harm, probably be just another dead end.” He rubbed his face and looked toward the living room at Carl and Judith.

“I think we can stay for a couple a days here at least. Give Judith a rest, maybe Noah and Gabriel will heal up faster.”

“Yeah,…uh…Meryl mentioned again that one of the girls could share with her. You got that all figured out yet?”

“Me and Rosita will stay in the living room if that’s ok. Don’t feel comfortable in a room no more.”

“We’re gonna trade watch, Daryl first, then me, if you two want to join it would let everyone sleep more.”

“yeah, we can do that.” Abraham answered.

“Good, how about Glenn and Maggie take the master, Daryl and Meryl got her room, Michonne and Carol, Judith and Carl, Tyrese and Sasha said they wouldn’t mind the sitting room, Eugene, Gabriel, and Noah can find a spot on the floor in any of the rooms. I’ll ask Tara if she’d like to share with Meryl, the girl is pretty laid back, I don’t think she’ll crowed our host too much.”

“I’ll let her know.” Daryl pushed off the counter.

“Daryl.” Glenn called out.

“yeah.”

“What’s your read on her? She didn’t say much when we tried talking to her, but she seems to talk to you.”

“She ain’t seen anythin’. Don’t think she saw much before everythin’ fell apart either. I’m takin’ her with me huntin’ tomorrow. We’ll see if she can learn tomorrow.”

Glenn jerked his head back slightly, Daryl hunted alone. Not for the first time he wondered what was going on in his friends head, concerning this woman. Rick was also studying Daryl, he’d never seen him take to someone so quickly. Both men decided to let it go for now.

“Alright,” Rick stood up. "I’ll let everyone know.”

Daryl headed back up stairs and met Meryl half way down the stairs a pile of blankets and pillows in her arms.

“I have more upstairs if anyone needs them.”

Daryl helped her bring them down and set them on the couch. Rick thanked her and let her know that Tara would be sleeping in the room with her and Daryl. Meryl didn’t mind, Tara seemed nice even if they had nothing in common.

Daryl walked Em back to her room, he was struck with the amount of books she had. He hadn’t really noticed the first time around, too preoccupied with finding the potential threat. Hershel had told him Merle liked to read, something else Daryl never knew about his brother. He ran his fingers along the spines of the books. He wondered if Merle would have liked any of them, if he would have liked this quiet woman. Merle had always ended up with loud and trashy woman, Daryl use to think that was his type, now after learning new things about his brother, he thought maybe he just took what he could get. Just like Daryl himself, settling for what was offered, maybe his brother would have liked a woman he could talk to. He hated himself for forgetting his brother’s life had been filled with just as much misery as his own. It was just Merle covered the damage better, fought and ran harder. Daryl hid inside himself and that had somehow worked out better for him.

“You like to read.” Em’s quiet voice brought him out of his self-loathing.

“Naw….well, never really tried it before.” He answered in a slightly hoarse voice as he let his hand slip off the book shelf. “My brother loved ta read, turns out.”

“Oh. You want to talk about it?” she nearly whispered, feeling like somehow she needed to be quiet and respectful.

Daryl shook his head, “Not yet.” He laid his things on the side of the bed. “I need to go take watch.” He moved passed her towards the door.

“Thank you Daryl.” She said causing him to pause at the door frame. “Thank you for saving me, from getting shot and from starving here alone.”

He didn’t look back at her “I haven’t saved you yet.” He continued out the door.

She wasn’t sure what that meant, Daryl and all of them were clearly in a lot of pain, she would try to be as useful as possible, she didn’t want to be a burden. Grabbing a couple of quilts she began making a make shift bed for Daryl on the floor, part of her was tempted to let him sleep on the bed with her, he looked like he could use a decent nights rest, but she never shared her bed with a man before, even if this wasn’t sexual it was still too strange for her and she instinctively knew he wouldn’t let her take the floor while he took the bed.

Once she was satisfied the bed she made him was as comfortable as it could possibly get she took her shoes off and climbed into her own bed. She had just pulled the covers over herself when Tara came in.

“It’ll be so nice to sleep in an actual bed for a change. I’m exhausted.” She gave a big yawn and a stretch.

“I’m happy to help.” Em replied with a small smile. Tara returned the smile only much bigger and climbed in the bed. Em was right, they were both small enough that the bed gave them plenty of room.

“Night.”

“Goodnight.”

`Em couldn’t sleep until she heard Daryl come in for the night. She almost missed it, jerking when she saw his shadow make its way around the bed.

“Sorry didn’t mean ta wake you.” He whispered.

“You didn’t I just didn’t hear you come in. Goodnight Daryl.” She finally closed her eyes.

“Night Em.” He laid on his back, wishing he had a cigarette to smoke. He willed the thoughts of Merle and Beth away, focusing on what he needed to teach Em tomorrow. He finally drifted off listing the skills she would need to learn in order of importance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle and Beth get stronger. Daryl gets daring and Em has a day full of firsts.

The next morning Daryl expected to be up before Em, he was planning to clean his bow and gather the supplies needed for their hunt before he woke her. Her eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling when he got up off his make shift bed.  
  
Tara was snoring softly, with one arm draped across Em’s waist. Daryl tried not to smile at the woman’s obvious discomfort. He leaned over and gently removed Tara’s arm, settling it on the pillow by her head. He noted how the tension melted out of Em’s body almost immediately. He jerked his head towards the door, she nodded and they gathered their things. Daryl led her to the kitchen where Rick was already up and inventorying their weapons and amo.  
  
“Haven’t you slept?” Em surprised all of them by asking.  
  
Rick jerked his head back slightly, he glanced up at Daryl quickly. He tilted his head, studying the woman in front of him. She held his stare, her eyebrows scrunched up in disapproval.  
  
“Yeah, yeah I slept.” He answered her, his brows, scrunching up to match hers. He felt like he was being scolded.  
  
“How much? You were awake when I went to bed and you relieved Daryl from watch, now you’re awake before us. How much could you have slept?” She put her hands on her hips. Yep, he was getting scolded.  
  
“I…uh…” he tilted his head again in confusion. Where was the quiet girl from yesterday?  
  
“You need to sleep, you and Daryl have offered to help me, I don’t have much to give back but some food and my home, please take advantage of it. You can use my bedroom, you need to sleep.”  
  
“I don’t have time.” Rick began to protest, but Daryl interrupted him.  
  
“She’s right Rick, She ain’t had any trouble here, we’re pretty far outta the beaten path. You can afford to rest a bit. There plenty of people to watch out.” Rick gave him a look.  
  
“There are things to be done.” He looked at them as they both shook their heads in unison.  
  
“It can wait Rick.” Daryl told him.  
  
“At least a few hours.” She added.  
  
“Fine.” He dropped the map onto the coffee table and began heading out when he stopped in his tracks.  
  
“Thank you Meryl.” She smiled, a shy smile now that she wasn’t forcing him to take her hospitality.  
  
Daryl sat at the table and pulled out the chair next to him for her to sit. She accepted the offered seat and studied the weaponry laid out in front of her. Daryl was studying her, the assertive woman from a few seconds ago was gone, just like that, she was back to looking uncomfortable and unsure.  
  
“Why you care so much about Rick?” he asked her. Beth was scratching at his mind trying to get him to remember her, the way she always took care of people, put their needs over her own, right to the end.  
  
“He seems nice, agreed to help me for no good reason. He doesn’t take care of himself, does he?”  
  
“Naw, he don’t.” He looked into her big blue eyes, innocents and compassion staring back at him.  
  
“Are you religious?” he asked on a whim.  
  
“I suppose, I was on the church choir. It was the only time I really got out of the house.” She picked up a large knife, Daryl’s heart clenched. Beth’s knife, the choir, was Beth in her church choir? He couldn’t remember.  
  
“Not that one.” He took the knife from her, setting on the opposite side of the table. It’s bad luck, he thought.  
   
“Ok, I’m not sure what I should get.” She wrung her hands together under the table.  
  
“Take this for now.” He handed her a crowbar. “I’ll take care of any walkers that come our way, but keep this on you just in case. I’ll teach you weapons later.” She took the crowbar from him with a nod, noting Daryl had put the large kitchen knife (the one she'd almost stabbed him with) back in the butchers block where it belonged.  
  
“Once were out there, you need to be quiet, no talking, no singing, nothing.” She nodded again.  
  
“Step where I’m stepping and avoid anything that can make noise, like dried leaves and twigs.”  
  
“Sure thing Daryl.” Again his heart clenched, one of his brother’s favorite phrases, except his would have been sarcastic and he would have called him Darylina. Em was inspecting the crowbar, unaware of the memory she had dredged up. He rubbed his thumb against his bottom lip, she really could be their daughter. If in some crazy alternate universe Merle and Beth had come together to make a child, Meryl would have been it.  
  
She was pretty, her clothes were a bit frumpy, like something an old lady would wear, and her hair covered her face most of the time, but she was attractive. The ladies use to love Merle, they were never around any nice girls, girls like Beth were taken care of by their daddies, they never came within ten feet from guys like him and Merle, but the girls that were around loved Merle. They were always going on about his rugged good looks and his beautiful curly hair. Beth, there was no denying Beth was beautiful, porcelain skin, big blue eyes, petite. Meryl was like the best of both of them, he squeezed his eyes shut, she wasn’t Merle and Beth’s child, she was older than Beth, she wasn’t related to either of them, she was just a woman, a woman who needed his help. He needed to stop these crazy thoughts before he started believing them.  
  
“Are you Ok.” Her voice brought him back to reality.  
  
“Yeah, we need to head out, it’s gonna get late.” He gathered up his weapons, she followed him out the front door.  
  
Glenn was on the front porch, Maggie sitting beside him staring off at nothing. Glenn acknowledged them with a little wave.  
  
“Ricks gonna try’n get some sleep, see if you can let him be for a bit.” Glenn nodded.  
  
“Don’t think he slept last night.” Glenn looked out into the woods. “I’ll watch out for things, Abraham can help.” Daryl didn’t answer, he wasn’t sure about the new people yet. Glenn seemed to sense his trepidation.  
  
“He’s alright, a bit of a hot head but his hearts in the right place.”  
  
“Yeah, we’ll I might believe ya if he manages not to kill that fat guy with the mullet.”  
  
Glenn sniffed at the joke, a small smile on his face.  
  
“We should be back by evenin’.” He motioned with his head for Em to follow. She smiled a little at Glenn and Maggie but Maggie continued to stare forward blankly, Glenn smiled back.  
                                                                  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM  
  
They had been walking through the woods for two hours. Em had kept her footsteps light and quiet. She wasn’t perfect, but she was a hell of a lot quieter than he’d could have ever hoped for. He caught sight of a deer up ahead. He motioned for her to stay, bringing a finger up to his lips in a shushing motion. She froze on the spot bringing her thumb up to her lips, biting at the nail quietly.  
  
He aimed and fired, hitting the deer with a perfect head shot. He smiled it was a damn good size deer, they’d eat well at least, maybe Meryl was good luck. He turned to her, surprised to see she had walked up and was standing close behind him. She looked sick and sad.  
  
“We gotta eat ta live, gotta hunt ta eat. I had ta even ‘for all this.”  
  
“I know, I just never seen it. Your very good, he….she…didn’t suffer.” She walked up to the animal laying a gentle hand on its side.  
  
“How do we get it back?”  
  
Daryl brought out a tarp from his bag, they loaded the animal onto the tarp and began dragging it back. They only ran into a couple of walkers on their way back and Daryl took care of them quickly, noting her fighting the instinct to hide. She was brave, she didn’t have the skills needed for this world but she had the will and the bravery to learn and she was willing to dive in head first into whatever he wanted to teach her.  
  
He decided Merle would have liked her, she was pretty, she read, she wasn’t a pussy and she didn’t talk much. Merle was always complaining about how much bitches talked.  
“Always talkin’ little brother, ‘bout their nails, ‘bout other bitches, talk talk talk that’s why you gotta stick ya dick in there. “ He’d let out a booming laugh. “Give them somethin’ useful ta do with they mouth.”  
  
Most of that was probably bullshit, Merle just talking trash like always, but the woman that came around them weren’t very bright, what if a nice girl had paid his brother some attention? What if someone listened to Merle, like Beth had listen him, believed in him and given him hope, maybe his brother would have been different. Then again, maybe his brother was better off not knowing what he was missing. He never had to drive himself insane with memories of good things lost. He missed his brother, Merle would have kept him in the now, by sheer force of will. He wouldn’t have let him drown in his own mind.  
  
“Did I do OK? Was I quiet enough?” Em asked.  
  
“Ya done good. You up for learnin’ how ta butcher.” He looked at her sideways. It was better when she talked, when he could teach her things. She was a good distraction, Merle would have understood and Beth would have done the exact same thing, like the liquor quest she’d made him go on, such a simple stupid thing, a distraction, something to do instead of sit and mourn.  
  
“Yes, I’ll learn. I want to be useful.”  
  
“Good, we’ll stop here, don’t want the blood attracting walkers to the house.”  
  
He set to showing her, step by step what to do. She listened followed his instructions, pushed down her feelings of distaste, he admired her, she didn’t have the flashy kind of courage but it was still courage. He didn’t know how long it took for them to get done but the entire time he was focused on her, on teaching, and Merle and Beth had let him be. It was as good a sign as any, she was the right choice, he would make it all right with her. He could save her, give her the strength and skills he hadn’t been able to give Beth and he would pass on Merle’s knowledge. Most people only heard his brother’s insults, they missed the keen observations that made those insults so biting, they missed the intelligence behind his crass philosophies. Daryl had to admit, he missed it himself more often than not.  
  
“So much to learn, your amazing.” She stated without much fanfare. He looked up at her, she was wiping the blood off her hands, not looking at him. He’d been told he was amazing once before, by some drunk girl who wanted to get into his pants. He’d chugged half a bottle of Jack and she’d told him he was amazing, before sliding her hand up his thigh, ghosting her fingers over his crotch. He’d fucked her in the bed of his truck and passed out, in the morning she was gone, he never saw her again. Em wasn’t flirting, she wasn’t even looking at him, she was looking at the work he’d done, like it was some sort of masterpiece.  
  
“Just a redneck, learn ta hunt as soon as we can walk. Ain’t a damn thing special about it.”  
  
“This will be the first meat I’ve had in at least a year, it’s pretty special.” She smiled a little, he could sense her sincerity. She believed what she said, and it made him angry. Would she think he was so damn special if she knew the last woman who depended on him got yanked right from under him, not once, but twice? Would he be so fucking amazing if she had seen Beth get her brains blown out?  
  
“I ain’t nothin’, wasn’t ‘for the world went ta shit neither.” He snapped, feeling the tears stinging his eyes, threatening to fall as he remembered Beth’s small body collapsing in front of him.  
  
“Why would you say that?” She finally turned to look at him, concern all over her face, not the least bit put off or angry that he’d just snapped at her.  
  
He found himself telling her almost the same thing he told Beth. “All I ever did was follow my brother around, doin’ whatever he wanted ta do. That meant getting’ high, drinkin, fuckin’, stealin’ we never did anythin’ that was worth nothin’. Just redneck trash.”  
  
She stared at him for a bit after his speech, he wondered if he had put her off with his talk about fuckin’. It was better if she didn’t get any grand ideas about what he was, if she couldn’t handle the truth…..he didn’t want to finish that thought, he needed her, he needed this to keep going.  
  
“You want to know what I did before this?” she finally said. He nodded quickly, he wanted to know who she was.  
  
“Nothing,” he looked up at her confused. “I was home schooled, I didn’t go to college, I didn’t have a job, I never had any friends, cause I wasn’t allowed to go out, never had a boyfriend, never even kissed a boy, not even a peck on the cheek.”  
  
“How old are you? He asked a little in awe that she had been so extremely sheltered.  
  
“22,” she gave him a small knowing smile. “I took care of my grandparents, I read, I crochet and I watched Jeopardy, my idea of going out was practicing with the choir and Sunday dinner with some of the congregation, usually friends of my grandparents. I can carry on a conversation with an older person much easier that with someone my age. None of those skills help me now, whatever you were before, you’re something special now. I would like to be like you, turn nothing into something.” She looked down at her hands.  
  
Daryl couldn’t tell if he was relieved or annoyed at how similar, yet different her speech was from Beth’s. The message was the same, leave the old you behind, you’re worth more than you realize, he took a deep breath. She wasn’t Beth, but she had the same innocence, the same need to see the best in him, he wouldn’t disappoint her, this time he would follow through.  
  
“Well we couldn’t be more different if we tried.” He breathed out. “I’ll teach ya all I can if your willin’ to learn.” He paused for a bit, “You really ain’t never even been kissed?”  
  
 “No,” she blushed “It’s pathetic I know.”  
  
Before he could chicken out he decided to seal the deal, leaning forward he pecked her on the lips. It was a quick, soft, chaste, kiss, the kind of kiss Beth would give anyone who needed it, the kind Merle never gave in his life as far as he knew.  
  
“There ya got your fist huntin’ lesson, your first butcherin’ lesson and first kiss, good enough for today?” he asked getting up quickly, just in case the last lesson ended in a slap, he’d never initiated a kiss before. She didn’t try to slap him, she just stared in shock for a moment then turned beet red, looking down she nodded her head.  
  
“Good enough for today.” She repeated in little more than a whisper, picking up the meat they had wrapped without looking at him.  
  
Daryl picked up the rest and began leading them back to her house. He noticed a little bit of a strut to his step and he could hear his brothers voice far off in his head “Not too bad baby brother.” It was a little sarcastic, but proud also. _It was just a little kiss, Merle, ain’t like I shoved my tongue down her throat._ “Hey ya nutted up bro, if ya wanna lick her tonsils next time ya won’t hear me complainin’, ‘bout time ya got laid.” _Pervert, ain’t gonna be a next time_. He could hear his brother laughing, almost hear the sound of his hand slapping his knee, “Sure there ain’t.” Daryl could feel a goofy smile on his face, it was rare when his brother was openly proud of him. “Hush Merle it was sweet.” He stopped in his tracks as Beth’s voice joined the conversation.  
  
“Is everything OK.” Em’s voice whispered, she looked around to see what had stopped him so suddenly. Daryl swallowed hard.  
  
“Yeah,” he rasped out, “Just thought I heard somthin’, come on.” He began walking again, he was talking to dead people, he was insane. He gripped the strap of his crossbow tighter, he couldn’t lose it now, Em needed him, he put all his focus on the surrounding woods and any potential threat, ignoring Merle’s scratching at his brain, he wanted to talk about Em some more, Beth was telling him to leave it be. Daryl rubbed his hand over his mouth.  
  
“Em tell me somethin’.” He broke down and asked, when she talked their voices weren’t so strong.  
  
“What?” she asked surprised, he could tell she was still a little shy about the kiss.  
  
“Tell me somethin’ we’re an hour away at least, no need ta be quiet now.”  
  
“I….uh… what do you want to know?”  
  
Daryl scratched his chin, “Why did ya live with your gandparents?”  
  
“Oh, Well, my mom died when I was two, she was wild.” Em’s voice was almost affectionate “She died of a drug overdose, never knew who my daddy was. I’m not sure my mom did either, the way my Mama talked about it.”  
  
“You always lived around here?” he asked, stopping he turned to look at her, her hair those cheek bones, something about the way her mouth was set, she didn’t know who her daddy was. “Oh shit!” Merle laughed in his head. _Shut it Merle, you would think this was funny, I kissed her!_ “She ain’t mine brother, relax.” He sounded so sure that Daryl did kind of relax, until he realized he was consulting a voice in his head.  
  
“Yes.” His stomach dropped “Oh actually if you want to get technical I lived in Tennessee before.”  
  
“Before?”  
  
“Yeah, when I was with my Mom. She left here after high school and never came back. Mama said she followed a band up there, said she was a groupie and my daddy was probably some drunkin’ band member.”  
  
It was strange how quickly she told him her story, she wasn’t much for talking but it had been so long since she’d seen anyone and his story wasn’t some fairytale either, she didn’t have to be embarrassed.  
  
That news relaxed Daryl, as far as he knew Merle never went to Tennessee, said they were a bunch of shit kickers “They are bro.” Merle’s voice taunted, he wasn’t going away. “Leave him Merle, he’s trying to feel better.” Beth was back now. “Just makin’ sure he don’t screw it up.” Merle answered. Daryl was confused at the easy way they spoke to each other, his mind making them a couple “Ya sure it’s your mind?” his brother snickered. “That’s it, leave him alone.” Beth’s voice stern.  
  
“Are you alright.” Em was looking at him concerned. Daryl had stopped talking, stopped walking, he was staring off into the woods. At her voice he blinked and his eyes focused on her.  
  
“Yeah, Yes.” He began walking again and she followed.  
  
There was something wrong with this man, she didn’t feel danger, but he was off, not all there. She followed a little further away than before, he was tense, eyes constantly darting around looking for danger, flashing back to her over and over again, checking to see if she was ok. The stress he must live under had to be daunting. Maybe she was being too hard on him, she didn’t know what it was like out in the world, for him and Rick to wear themselves ragged like this, there had to be a reason. Living on the edge and losing so many people, it would take it’s toll on anybody. She sped up to walk beside him, making it easier for him to look out for her. He was helping her so much, she would do her best to help him in return. He needed someone to take care of him, that was something she was good at. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl makes a confession.

Daryl nervously bit his thumb as they made their way back to the house, his slight cockiness from earlier gone completely. She had noticed him check out, and he was afraid he might scare her off. He sighed in relief when she sped up to walk beside him.

“Give some more of those.” She said motioning to the wrapped up pieces of meat he was carrying in his bag. “or better yet give me the bag.” She stopped and Daryl recognized the look on her face. It was the same one she had given Rick earlier.

“You aren’t carryin’ everythin’ so you can forget it.” He stopped also, scowling at her.

“I’m not, you have the crossbow, which looks pretty heavy, and all of the weapons and tools. I can carry a bag and a crowbar. You said you’d toughen me up.” She used the same technique she used on her grandparents when they were being difficult, making it seem like it was really what he wanted all along.

“True, I guess.” Daryl mumbled handing over the bag.

She gave him a bigger smile as she took the bag from him. He was going to be a difficult one to watch out for, him and Rick, they were givers not receivers. She would just have to be crafty, make sure they didn’t have a choice in the matter. She glanced at Daryl, Rick needed some help, but Daryl would be her top priority. She didn’t know why or how, but he needed her help.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 

Two days later they were preparing to leave Em’s home. She was in her bedroom looking through her clothes, she didn’t really have anything fit for traveling. Catching a shift from the corner of her eye, she turned to find Daryl lingering at her doorway.

“I brought somethin’ for you.” He mumbled handing her a pair of jeans.

“Where did you get these?” she took the offered garment.

“The run we went on yesterday.” He shrugged.

“Thank you! All I have are slacks and skirts.”

Daryl watched her inspect the jeans through his bangs. She had a small smile on her face, he bit his thumb as she checked the size on the tag. “Don’t worry brother, you got the size right……You check her ass out enough, should know the size.” Merle snickered.

“Shut up.” Daryl mumbled around his thumb.

“What?” She looked up from the jeans.

Daryl shook his head quickly, chewing on his bottom lip. Merle was laughing at him again, it was the third time today that he’d made him answer out loud. He rubbed his eyes, Merle wasn’t making him do anything, he was just losing his damn mind. “I’m here baby brother and I’m still getting’ tha better of ya.” Daryl smiled a little at the humor in his brother’s voice. Merle was never as happy as when he made someone squirm. _Beth said it was the right size, jackass._ “It is.” Beth’s soft voice joined their conversation. “It was a nice thing to do for her.” _I shoulda got you some. Your jeans were ripped. I should have found you some new ones._ “Oh Daryl you kept me alive.” She answered _No I didn’t,_ “Yes. You. Did. But Daryl, now you need to pay attention to Em. She’s talking to you.” Daryl’s eyes widened.

“What?” He asked guiltily.

“They are the perfect size. How did you know?” she smiled at him, ignoring the way he’d checked out again.

“Oh uh Beth.”

“Beth?”

“NO! Guess, I guessed.” He tried to correct his mistake.

She nodded, he’d said Beth but she wouldn’t call him on it, not yet. His shoulders relaxed in relief _She bought it_ “Don’t be so sure.” Beth answered. “I like her, we would be friends.” He could see her smiling in approval in his mind’s eye. His heart clenched _You should be here, you should be her friend._ “I’m sorry Daryl. I should have thought things through more. I’m so sorry.” _Shut up! Shut up! You don’t apologize. I shoulda…_

“Daryl.” Em laid her hand softly on his shoulder. “It’s OK.” He was clearly in distress, his breathing had quickened and his hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles where white.

Daryl looked at her, opening his mouth to snarl, to yell, it wasn’t OK it would never be OK. “Daryl.” It was Beth again. “She lost people too, she’s all alone. Be careful with her.” Her soft voice pleading with him to control his temper.

He slammed his mouth shut, remembering how he had snapped at Beth, yanking her around, practically abusing her because he couldn’t handle his grief. He wouldn’t do that again, he was going to do it right this time, the way he should have done it with her. “You didn’t abuse me, you’re allowed to feel. Let her help you.” Her voice begging him to cooperate.

She’d been trying to convince him to let Em help him for the last couple of days. He tried to listen and Em took advantage every chance she got. She got him to eat, she got him to shower, she was on him to let her cut his hair, she even got him to sleep in her bed a couple of times, sleeping with Tara was a slight bit less awkward now that he knew she was into chicks. She had tricked him by saying she would wake him after her watch and they would switch, after the second time he woke up with her asleep on the floor he didn’t buy her lies anymore. He insisted on sleeping on the hard floor after that and she matched his stubbornness by sleeping on the floor next to him. Tara was particularly pleased with that little spat. Merle had spent the entire night trying to get him to make the moves on her, to his dismay Beth had giggled at his uncomfortableness.

He had lain next to Em remembering how he bumbled telling Beth he cared. “Yep, shrugging like a damn fool teenager.” He could practically hear Merle rolling his eyes. Daryl had rubbed his bottom lip and looked over at Em’s sleeping form. She was weak, if he let himself care, he could be asking for trouble and more heartbreak. “What’s the point if you don’t care Daryl?” Beth’s voice was sad. “I want to see you happy.” Merle chimed in “At the risk of soundin’ like a pussy, I’d like to see ya happy too brother. Getting’ ya dick wet migh’ help that.” Daryl turned his back on Em so Merle could get his mind out of the gutter.

“Daryl.” Em’s voice brought him back to the present. “I’ve tried not to pry, but I know something is happening. You kinda space out every once in a while, like you’re in another world”

“You think I’m fuckin’ crazy.” His chest was heaving with anger and nervousness, his eyes darting back and forth between hers quickly. “You thinkin’ it might be better to stay away?” He waited for her answer nervously pacing.

“No, no Daryl. I’m coming with you. I …. Just you can tell me.” She reached out carefully and took his clenched hand in hers. She felt him jerk slightly but he did not pull away. Encouraged she led him to the bed and sat down, pulling on his arm till he sat next to her.

Daryl sat but refused to meet her eyes, instead staring at his lap. He didn’t pull his hand from her grasp but he didn’t open his fist either.

“When my grandparents died, I didn’t eat for a week, I didn’t shower. I almost gave up.” She let go of his fist. “They did it for me. They wanted me to have all the food, the note they left said they were old and had lived their life. They wanted me to survive.” She breathed in deeply, trying to control her emotions. “I couldn’t give up after they did that for me and now I’ve found you. I don’t know what happened with Merle and Beth, but if they loved you half as much as you love them, they want you to be happy. If I can help at all, please let me.”

Daryl thought of the sacrifice Merle had made for him and the one Beth had made for that fool Noah. He rubbed his face vigorously with both hands. “Tell her we’re here.” Beth whispered. “Yeah, get some a that sympathy nookie.” Merle added.

“Shut up, Merle.” His face was still buried in his hands. He had rested well here in Em’s house, but he was still so tired. It was getting harder and harder to pretend. He dropped his hands, Em immediately took his right hand in hers.

“Please, Daryl.” She begged again.

“They’re here.” He gave up, if he was crazy, then he was crazy. He just didn’t have the strength anymore and this slight little thing sitting in front of him seemed as stable as a boulder. “I hear them all the time, shootin’ the shit in my brain. Sometimes I almost see them.”

Em nodded encouragingly. “Is it you? Are you talking in their voice?”

Daryl nodded, then quickly shook his head no. “I don’t know. Beth told me what size pants ta get. I don’t know shit about that. Merle, Merle’s just Merle. He don’t know shit ‘bout women neither.”

He could feel his brother bristle in his brain “The hell I don’t.” he yelled. Daryl squeezed his eyes shut, Merle’s yelling giving him the start of a headache. “Beth you tell this stupid bastard, what’s what.” He demanded. “Merle, don’t call him that.” She scolded.

“Please stop.” He growled out, slamming his left fist into his knee. Em gently turned his face to face her.

“Are they talking now?”

“Merle’s pissed I said he didn’t know shit about women. He’s stomping around yelling.”

“Was Merle like you?”

“Merle was one of a kind.” Daryl gave her a grin, she was surprised at how many years that took off his face. He almost looked boyish, a handsome sunny boy, instead of a dark brooding man.

“Merle could take out a group of men all on his own. Seen him in a bar fight once, beat tha shit outta five guys, I tell you what. The girls would throw themselves at my brother, he got the Clap three times.” He looked down shaking his head but still smiling. “I guess we didn’t hang with the classiest people, but even the baddest of the bad knew ta watch out for Merle.” He let out a laugh.

“He sounds like a character, I wish I could have met him.” She grinned back at Daryl, caught up in his happiness.

“Oh he would have tried ta fuck ya.” Daryl leaned back on his hands, sticking his legs out in front of him. “He was always chasing tail and if ya said No well then, he’d make damn sure you were uncomfortable. He loved getting’ under peoples skin and he was damn good at it too. Witty bastard he was.”

“I would have been dragged away by my grandparents, I’m sure. Sounds like you had an exciting sibling. I bet he would have loved my mother.” She smiled at him.

“They woulda been nothin’ but trouble from the sound of it.” Daryl agreed.

“What about Beth?” She asked.

Daryl’s smile became sadder. “Beth was all innocence and sunshine. She couldn’t have been less like my brother if she tried, always saw the good, fought for what was right.”

“Did you love her?” Em thought maybe Beth was his lover, people avoided talking about the girl, especially in front of Maggie so she didn’t know what her relationship to Daryl was.

“I loved her, yeah.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Never really talked ta her till we had ta run together. We had a place, all of us, but it got destroyed. Beth and I got out. I weren’t in no shape to take care of someone but truth is Beth took care of me. Then she was gone and just when I thought I got her back, she was gone again.”

“I thought maybe she was your…that you were together.”

“Naw, Beth she….it never went there. I ain’t my brother, had other things ta worry ‘bout most times.”

“Well, they sound amazing, maybe it isn’t so bad if they stick around a bit.” She patted his shoulder before getting up to continue her packing.

“Maybe it ain’t.” he agreed getting up to help her, his loved ones quiet for the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Rick walked behind Daryl and Meryl keeping a decent amount of distance between the two and himself. Meryl was nodding her head and smiling and Daryl was talking animatedly, moving his hand in a stabbing motion. At first Rick thought he was teaching her something about knives, then he heard Merle’s name and Meryl had laughed. He turned to the right, Carol and Michonne were both looking at the back of Daryl’s head in amazement, seems he wasn’t the only one to notice the changes in their friend.

Little did his friends know, Daryl himself was amazed at the amount of talking he was doing. It seemed that once he got started talking about his brother, he couldn’t stop. The stories were pouring out of him, with little forgotten details being peppered in by Merle. He realized he needed to talk, he had friends in the group, more than that, the group was his family but Merle remained a sore spot. He knew he could talk to them but in the back of his mind he knew what they really felt about his brother and that stopped him “I know what they think of me too little brother.” Merle added bitterly. _I know that’s why I don’t say shit ta them ‘bout you._ “Em seems ta like me though.” Merle laughed. “Girls got taste.” Daryl shook his head.

“What?” Em asked nudging him a little with her elbow.

“Nothin’ Merle thinks you like him.” He sniffed out a little laugh.

“I do. He’s funny. I use to love hearing stories about my mama and he reminds me of her.”

“Your grandparents told ya stories?”

“No,” she shook her head sadly. “But she had an old high school friend who would talk to me from time to time. I always wished I could just let loose like her one day, just go crazy, maybe not as much as she did, but, you know, a little.”

Daryl nodded “I did have some fun times with my brother, problem was he always had to go overboard.” He glanced at her, this time she was staring off, remembering.

“I helped Beth cut lose a little.” He didn’t know why he was telling her this, so far the conversation had stuck to Merle, Beth’s death was still very fresh.

“Really? How?”

Daryl looked forward. “It’s OK Darylina, I can share the floor with Cherry for a bit.” Merle seemed to walk away into the dark recesses of his brain, “I hate when he calls me that.” Beth grumbled, she’d been eerily silent up until now. “Tell her the story, I really liked that night.”

“Daryl, is it a secret?” Em asked.

“No,” he smiled and shook his head at her. “She was young, 18 maybe 19.” He chewed his lip a bit. “Think she was ‘bout 16 when this shit started, never had time ta do nothin’.”

Em bit her lip but gestured for him to go on, he could see the sympathy in her eyes at the realization that they had lost someone so young, so full of promise.

“She ain’t never had a drink. I didn’t wanna do shit but sit at the fire and think ‘bout all the shit we lost, but Beth got it in her head that she should have her first drink. I think she was tryin’ to distract us…..anyway….we ended up at this country club, got ta the bar and she just sat there cryin’ with a bottle of peach schnapps.” He shook his head at the memory.

“Peach schnapps? Is it any good.” Em asked innocently.

Daryl looked up at her words, nearly overwhelmed by a sudden wave of déjà vu. “It’s not that weird of a question Daryl, relax.” Beth giggled. “OOOO I’m possessing her.” She giggled again and this time he heard Merles laughter mingled with hers.

“Shut up, Beth. You’ve been hangin’ with Merle too long.” He snapped.

Em nudged him with her elbow again. “What happened?” He looked at her, realizing he had spoken out loud again.

“Just ya asked me the same question she did.”

“So….”

“So, what?” he asked slightly irritated.

“So, is it?” she asked again. He couldn’t help but laugh. She was acting like talking to dead people in your head was no big deal, his answering them out loud was no big deal, like knowing if peach schnapps was good was somehow more important.

“No, it’s shit and I didn’t let her drink it. I took her to a shack in the woods and gave her a real first drink. Moonshine.” He paused a second before adding. “And if you’re thinkin’ of tellin’ me bad moonshine can make ya blind…..don’t, she already did.”

“Yes, sir Mr. Dixon.” She gave a little salute and of course Beth began giggling in his head again. “Can you possess someone without knowing it Merle?” she asked through her laughter. “Don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind being in possession of some hot ass.” “ugh you’re a pig.” Her giggles slowly petering out. Daryl gritted his teeth.

“What happen then? Did she get a hangover?”

“Yeah, we played a stupid game, I’ve never…..or some shit like that, got in a fight, then just talked. She listened about Merle, first one ta really do that, everyone else hates him.” He looked away towards the woods.

“Why?”

Daryl turned back to her “Go on tell her, and don’t forget ta tell her what they did ta me.” Merle was back, bitter and angry. _She may get the wrong idea ‘bout them, ‘bout you._ “Fuck do I care! Tell her.”

Daryl bit his lip “My brother…was…is…a handful, got in a fight with the group, they ended up abandoning him handcuffed to a roof.”

“That’s terrible, why would they do that to him?” she actually looked angry.

“Said he was a danger, truth is I believe them.” He rubbed his lip with his thumb “Thanks a lot Darylina.” Merle growled.

“You know what a bastard you are Merle.” He snapped back.

“Merle cut his own hand off to escape. Survived too, thrived even.” he continued to Em. “Damn right I did.” Merle’s voice was cocky.

“Wow!” she breathed.

“Yep, told ya he was a tough sonofa bitch. Thing is he found Glenn and Maggie a while later and things got ugly…fast.” he frowned “They wouldn’t tell me where ya were, fuck them, I did what I had to.” Merle defended himself.

“You could have waited.” Daryl didn’t realize he’d begun talking out loud again. “Why!? They left me ta die, why the hell should I trust them.”

“Fuck, got me there. God damn.” Daryl muttered.

“Daryl.”

“Huh, what?”

“How did it get ugly?”

“Oh uh they wouldn’t tell him where I was, wanted him ta wait for me, he didn’t like that.”

“hmph Can’t say I blame him.” Her eyebrows scrunched up.

“He kidnapped them, took them to this crazy guy he’d been workin’ with, they almost killed both of them.” Daryl expected her to turn on Merle right about then, instead he got surprised.

“It worked, you two were reunited, right.”

“Yeah, I guess, caused one hell of a shit storm, but yeah, we got reunited…for a bit.”

She reached across the space in-between them and squeezed his forearm. “You would think at the end of the world, things would be less complicated.” She sighed releasing his arm.

“Yep,” he rubbed the spot she’d squeezed. “I like this one brother.” Merle nodded, “Me to.” Beth chimed in, “She’s loyal to your family, cause she’s loyal to you already.” He could see Merle look at Beth in surprise “Well, well Cherry look at you reading people like a pro.” Daryl stopped in his tracks and Em stopped with him. The rest of the group was catching up to them.

“Rick going into tha woods for a bit, takin’ Em.” Daryl grabbed her by the wrist to lead her off the road they were traveling on.

“Wait Daryl.” The leader sped up to stop him. “Is everything alright. Why do you need to separate?”

Daryl didn’t really answer him “It won’t be long.” He told him, dragging a confused Em behind him.

They walked for about 20 minutes before he stopped and let go of her wrist. He spun around to face her.

“Why?” he demanded.

“Why what?”

“Why do you trust me? Why are you so damn loyal to me and to Merle? What the fuck do you think is gonna happen?” he paced in front of her.

“I….I don’t know. I do trust you and I guess I am loyal to you….I never really thought about it like that. I just, you helped me and I want to help you, this is the only way I know how. I hope that we can be friends and that you don’t die and I don’t die and…..that’s it I guess.”

“And it don’t matter to you that I’m out my damn mind?” he stopped chest heaving.

“No.” she said simply.

He looked away deeper into the woods, a piece of him wanted to run away, just go, not deal with the fact that this girl seemed to be an answer to his problems and she that accepted his affliction so easily. She was the answer now, but she could so easily become another voice in his head, if she died. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Beth said. “Amen.” Concurred his brother.

“I’m so tired of losing people.” He let out a breath.

“And you assume I’m already dead?” She asked sadly.

“Better to assume everybody is already dead.” He answered finally looking at her. She gave him a small sad smile.

“If I die I promise not to chatter in your head like Beth and Merle.” She tried to joke. Daryl’s heart clenched at her comment.

“No, chatter away, what’s one more voice anyway right?”

Em didn’t smile at his joke any more than he had smiled at hers. She walked up to him slowly and awkwardly wrapped her arms around him. He could tell she didn’t do this much “Makes you speeecialll.” His brother whispered in a sing song voice. “mmmhmmm.” Beth agreed.

She began pulling away but Daryl wrapped his arms around her. Beth had hugged him, Beth hugged everyone but he was the only dope that just stood there like a rock when she did, he thought maybe he could enjoy this hug. They stayed that way for a few seconds before he reluctantly let her go, the hug had helped, he felt better.

“How ‘bout we practice your trackin’. Led us back.” He waved her forward. She swallowed hard but nodded. Em did a good job, he hadn’t noticed but in his anxiety he had swerved around quite a bit, it wasn’t a straight shot back to the road, like he thought, but she got them back and gave Daryl a big proud grin.

“Good job.” He gave her a half smile. “Now let’s play catch up ‘for Rick freaks out.”

 MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

Rick had fallen to the back of the group, he kept looking back, willing Daryl and Meryl to appear on the road behind him. They had only been gone a little while, but Rick was uneasy. He didn’t know Meryl, and after everything that had happened he wasn’t as keen as Daryl on just accepting her without question. She seemed nice, she had taken to mothering Daryl and sometimes himself, but that could be a ruse. He hadn’t had the chance to really get to know her, she was always around Daryl, even hunting with him and now they were wandering off into the woods together for no reason. He wondered whether she was sleeping with him, it would be a smart thing to do, Daryl was a survivor, having him love you would be an advantage. Thing was, Daryl never showed any romantic interest in anyone, even before he’d bonded with the group he’d put surviving above anything. He’d searched for Sofia, he’d helped with Randell, but now Daryl was vulnerable, he was off, not himself. It could be Meryl was taking advantage of that.

Rick made up his mind, he would speak to them separately. He knew his friend was private, if they were together in that way he wouldn’t be too happy talking about it. He didn’t know how Meryl would react to his prying, but it was for the good of the group, they needed Daryl. Looking back again he was relieved to see the two people walking swiftly to catch up to them. He stopped, waving Glenn on when he stopped next to him.

“Go on I’ll wait for them.” He gestured the rest of the group forward when they turned around.

“I’ll wait too if you want.” Glenn answered giving the approaching couple a curious look. Rick was about to open his mouth to protest when he thought of something.

“Thank you Glenn.” He nodded.

Daryl and Em walked up to Glenn and Rick, “Is everythin’ alright?” he asked worriedly.

“Yes, don’t worry.” Rick put his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “Meryl could you go with Glenn and the rest of the group? I would like to talk to Daryl alone.” He noticed Daryl start chewing his bottom lip, immediately uncomfortable with the idea of them parting.

“Uh,” she looked at Daryl, “Sure.” Hesitantly she walked toward Glenn. She seemed nervous, which confused Rick. Glenn had hardened after all that had happened since the dead began to walk, but he was still unassuming, he still gave out a vibe of kindness. Daryl didn’t, he was good and he was kind, but the fact that he had been accepted and fit in with the likes of Joe and his crew, was a testament to how much darkness was inside Daryl. That someone who claimed to be as sheltered as Meryl did, would feel so comfortable with Daryl and not Glenn confused him even more.

He turned to his friend as soon as Glenn and Meryl were out of earshot. Daryl was looking at them nervously, another strange thing. Daryl saving her, he could understand, but the attachment he didn’t. Daryl and him had gotten close, he was a good man who would lay his life on the line for his family, but he had never seen him get clingy.

“Daryl, what’s going on with you and that girl?” with Daryl it was best to be blunt and get to the point.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick asks for answers

“Daryl, what’s going on with you and that girl?” Rick asked

“What the hell…?” Daryl took a step back.

“I know you aren’t comfortable with me asking about this.” Rick gestured around, unsure exactly what he was indicating with that. He was uncomfortable with this conversation too.

“But……,” he sighed “We don’t know this girl and you’ve jumped in with both feet.”

Daryl stared at him “Looky, looky, little brother Officer Friendly poking his nose where it don’t belong.” Merle snarled. Beth was silent. Daryl looked away from his friend.

“She helps me.” He said simply, Rick was prying but he never did anything without a good reason. “Umph.” Merle protested.

“Because she looks like Beth…and Merle.. a little?”

Daryl startled in surprise, he’d half thought that the similarities were in his head.

“That’s not a good enough reason to trust her……are you two…..is it sex..” Rick looked away embarrassed he was even asking.

“No!” Daryl sounded shocked. “Don’t you be askin’ her shit like that neither.” He was angry, he couldn’t exactly pin point why, but hearing Rick imply that Em was that sort of girl, the kind to use her body, pissed him off. His chest was heaving and he balled up his fist. “Well, well look at Darylina grow a set of balls finally.” Merle’s voice was cold and deadly. “Daryl,” Beth’s voice was concerned, “Rick is your family. He doesn’t know about her like you do. He’s trying to protect you.” “Dixon’s don’t need anyone protectin’ them girl.” Merle spat.

Daryl clenched his fist harder, they were both right. “I don’t need you babysittin’ me Rick. You worried, I get that, but what I do an who I do it with ain’t none of your business.”

Rick let out another sigh, “Fair enough.” He nodded. “I want to get to know her, she’s a part of this group now, I’ll be talking to her too. I can’t really trust her till then. You can’t blame me for that after everything.”

“Em’s a good person, I take responsibility for her. You wanna talk to her, then talk, but if she wants me there, I’ll be there.” He turned and walked away from his friend then, mindful of the fact that he hadn’t done that in a long time. He stopped and looked back, Rick was staring after him.

“I’m still here Rick, I just need this.” He didn’t wait for Rick’s reply, he could see Em nervously rubbing her elbow as she tried to have a conversation with Glenn. He sped up to walk next to her. “Good job.” Beth praised him. “Yeah, not half bad, little brother. There’s hope for you yet.”

 

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

Em was relieved when Daryl caught up to her and Glenn. They had been making very awkward small talk. She’d asked him to call her Em and mentioned her home schooling and that’s about when their conversation fell apart, their life and interests before and after the dead began rising couldn’t have been more different. She was beginning to wonder if Daryl would be the only person she could relate to, ever.

Her relief was short lived. Rick grabbed her elbow gently.

“Meryl could I speak with you please?” Em looked at Daryl quickly.

“I’ll go with you if ya want.” He gave her a small reassuring smile.

Rick did not look quite as pleased with the offer, so she asked

“Am I in trouble?”

“No.” Daryl answered for Rick.

Rick gave him a slightly annoyed look. Glenn’s eyes were darting back and forth between the two men nervously. Em took a deep breath, she wanted Daryl to come with her, but she could sense there was a bit of tension between them about it. If she wanted to be part of the group she would have to get use to interacting with all of them. Rick was the leader and Daryl’s friend, she’d tried to take care of him a little but Daryl had quickly taken all her attention. This was as good a time as any to get to know him better and ease any uncertainty he had about her. She definitely needed this group much more than they needed her……except Daryl…maybe.

“It’s OK Daryl, I’ll talk to Rick alone….if that’s what you want.” She gave her only friend a smile she hoped was as reassuring as the one he gave her.

Rick seemed pleased with her answer, “Yes, I would like that.”

Daryl nodded to her, giving Rick a parting look that Em could not read and he walked off with Glenn. Em was watching him walk away when Rick cleared his throat.

“I won’t keep you long.” He gave her a half smile. Em blushed, she must look pathetic, unable to be on her own for even a second without Daryl.

“What can I help you with Rick?” she asked

“Just wanted to talk to you about Daryl and this group.”

She nodded at him to go on.

“We’ve all been through a lot, trusting people doesn’t come as easy as it used to.” He gave her a hard stare. Em swallowed, Rick could be extremely intimidating.

“What is going on with you and Daryl?” they’d stopped walking.

“We’re friends…I think…I mean, I consider him my friend.” Her voice sounded small to her ears but she couldn’t help it, it seemed that Rick had grown four feet in the last few seconds.

“What do you want from him?” his intensity didn’t let up.

“Nothing! Well no, not nothing, I would like to learn from him and I enjoy talking to him and….”

“That’s just it,” Rick interrupted her. “Daryl takes some getting used to, he doesn’t just make friends, not right off the bat, like the two of you, so I ask myself, what’s her game? How’s she doing it?” he tilted his head and squinted his eyes at her, almost as if he was searching for the answer in her face. He put his hands on his hips, waiting for a reply.

“I don’t know.” She was getting a little offended, she hadn’t done anything but be kind to these people. “Daryl has been nothing but nice to me, why wouldn’t I enjoy his company? What kind of game would I play?” she was innocent enough to not catch exactly what he was implying but smart enough to know he was getting at something unpleasant.

“You’re a pretty girl, Daryl’s lost people, he’s vulnerable, lonely. A smart girl could use that to find a way in. If that’s it, you’d do better to just be honest with us. You don’t need to do that.”

“Use that? Use him?” did Rick just call her pretty and smart? What should have been a compliment was more like an insult.

“Yes, USE.” Rick’s eyes bore into her. The realization of what he meant finally dawned on her. It should have been funny, he really didn’t know how ignorant of those things she was.

Em’s eyes opened wide, she opened her mouth to protest when the image of Daryl kissing her in the woods came flashing into her mind, she closed her mouth feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.

“That! That right there! What is that?” Rick jumped on her obvious discomfort.

“He did kiss me in the woods…but…it wasn’t…. it was just a small, I’m not…”she was babbling, she knew the kiss was nothing, not to Daryl, it had been innocent and quick. It would always be her first kiss but Daryl was very handsome, she was sure it wasn’t anything new or special to him and he hadn’t acted like it was anything more than what it was since then.

“Kiss?” Rick was confused, she was this flustered over a kiss.

“Yeah, a kiss.” Daryl’s hard voice came from behind them. “Em could you give us a minute?”

Em was looking at the ground, embarrassed that Daryl had caught her talking about something so private. What if he thought she was making a big deal about it, he might be uncomfortable around her now. She twisted her hands together and simply nodded, not trusting her voice.

Daryl waited till she walked away, Em looked like she wanted to melt into the ground. “That’s as cherry as you can get, baby brother. Think she’s taken your crown Blue Eyes.” Merle sounded serious for once. “Poor girl, how embarrassing.” Beth sympathized. He nodded in agreement with both of them watching Em make her way to the group. They had stopped by a river for the night. He’d just come back to let Rick know when he’d heard Em’s bumbling admission of a kiss.

Any other time Daryl might have thought the girl was bragging or gossiping, but he knew Em wasn’t like that and he knew where Rick’s mindset was at the moment.

“Look Daryl,” Daryl held up his hand, stopping Rick’s explanation.

“You’re a great leader Rick.” He looked his friend in the eye. “I’d follow you to hell…I have followed you to hell. I respect you but I’m gonna tell you this once.” He rubbed his face, hating this conversation. “If I were to mess around with that girl…it be me who’d be takin’ advantage.”

Rick kept his hands on his hips, taking in what Daryl was telling him. He nodded “Ok and you’re sure about that?”

“We’ve taken in Noah…Abraham….Rosita…Eugene…Gabriel…Tara…” Daryl shook his head at him, “Why’s Em so hard?”

Rick looked down at the ground, his brow furled, he was terrible at this, the communication part. Hell, Daryl was doing a better job of it. He rubbed his eyes.

“You’re right, it isn’t …uh…Em I’m concerned about. It’s you. You’ve been off and I’m not one to judge, and I’m not judging”

Daryl nodded his head once, waiting to see if Merle or Beth had anything to add, they didn’t. He wasn’t ready to spill his secret to Rick yet and Em apparently hadn’t said anything about it. He took a deep breath.

“A few days ago you had more to worry about.” He confessed, strangely a few days ago he wasn’t hearing voices in his head, but he was weaker then, less apt to take care of himself.

“Em gives me something to concentrate on, I can talk to her about Beth,” Rick looked like he was about to speak, “and Merle.” Daryl continued. Rick scratched his eyebrow.

“You can talk to us.” He offered.

“No, I can’t.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

Daryl looked off into the woods, “I ain’t never pretended Merle was a saint, but he was my brother and I know what he went through to make him like he was. He coped the best way he knew how, Em don’t have your biased. She can just listen and………she’s a lot more like Beth than you know.” He was tired, it felt like he’d talked more today than he’d had his whole life. “Yep, enough with this bullshit, I don’t give a fuck what Officer friendly thinks about me. Don’t you go spilling your guts about me to this asshole.” Merle was still calm and serious.

“Merle wouldn’t want you knowin’ shit about him anyway.” he added.

Rick could understand needing someone to lean on, he did it to Daryl all the time. He couldn’t control everything in the group, he couldn’t save them all and make every decision for them. At some point he would have to let go of some things and let the weight be shifted to someone else’s shoulders. Daryl had chosen Em and if there was anyone else’s opinion he trusted it was Daryl’s. He put his hand on his friends shoulder.

“You’re right, I don’t know, but if this is what you need, I’ll stop worrying and trust you and her. Whatever happens between you isn’t my business, but Daryl, just so you know, it wouldn’t be taking advantage of her, she’d be lucky to have you.”

Daryl sniffed out a laugh, shaking his head. Rick smiled, they were back on track, he felt lighter already.

Daryl waked back to camp with Rick by his side, Em was sitting next to Maggie and Glenn quietly watching the low burning fire. Daryl sat beside her giving her a small smile when she glanced up nervously.

“Look Em about what happened in the woods.” He noticed her immediately tense and wrap her arms around her knees. Her cheeks bright pink with embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything.” She refused to look at him.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” He looked away from her, “Ricks fine now too.” He finished lamely. “Jesus, brother. Where’s your scrots boy?” Merle actually sounded sad. “Shhhh, come on Merle, he needs a break.” Beth almost whispered. _I didn’t know what to say anyway. What am I supposed to say?_ He got silence in return and for once he didn’t want it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to add a little Yondu quote :-)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where it starts following The Walking Dead epi's more closely, with Em mixed in of course.

They were waiting on the side of the road anxiously when Rick showed up, one look at Rick’s face and Em knew it was bad. She turned to look at Daryl and her heart stuttered, he looked defeated. Em swallowed, this was the first death aside from her grandparents she’d had to deal with.

They dragged Tyreese’s body from the vehicle and laid him on the ground as gently as possible. Sasha’s body was jerking with silent sobs. Emily looked at the bloody stump that use to be Tyreese’s arm and brought her hand to her mouth. This world was hell, she knew it now, it was hell on earth. Daryl jerked her hand away from her mouth.

“Don’t cry.” He snarled at her in a low voice so nobody else could hear. Em turned to look at him but he was facing the body of their friend. She swallowed back her tears, getting the distinct feeling that Daryl was angry not only at Tyreese’s death but at her too.

Gabriel gave the ceremony and it was a beautiful send off, all things considering. Daryl walked off immediately after it was done. Em watched him walk away for a few seconds before choosing to follow him, she hadn’t taken three steps before a hand on her arm stopped her. She turned and found herself looking straight into Rick’s denim blue eyes.

“Might want to give him a minute.” He told her tiredly. She shook her head at him, he gave her a sad half smile before letting go of her arm and picking up the shovel again. Em began walking after Daryl again, she didn’t try to catch up, if she was honest with herself she was a bit afraid. She stopped suddenly when she entered a clearing and found Daryl staring right at her.

“I told Rick Ty was useless except for takin’ care of Judith. I know Ty heard me.” He began pacing in front of her. Em didn’t know how to respond to that so she stayed silent. “Didn’t want to have ta kill no one. A good guy.”

When she didn’t answer he looked back at her and sniffed a laugh. “Another good guy fuckin’ dead. Good people don’t fuckin’ live. He made a plan ya know.” He waved his hands around angrily. “To get Beth and Carol back to us safe.” Em didn’t really know the whole story but she didn’t ask him any questions, her gut told her he needed to vent without interruption.

“It woulda worked too, but good people don’t fuckin’ live. Beth was always gonna die and Ty was always gonna die, Hershel.” He stopped his pacing and stomped over to her.

“Judith is gonna die.” He was in her face now breathing heavily through his nose. She fought the urge to run from him. “You’re gonna die Em.” His lip curled up as he spoke. Em took a deep breath,

“If I die then I die. I will be with my family. I…” Daryl stepped away from her suddenly.

“You think your gonna go to heaven or some shit!” he shouted. “Look around Em! Ain’t no God here! There ain’t nothin’!” He started pacing again, shaking his head and mumbling. Em knew he was hearing his brother and Beth again, maybe Tyreese had joined the party. She didn’t know how to help him with this.

“Yes, yes you’re right, no, no you got a bullet in your fuckin’ head what the hell do you know. He chose to die it didn’t just happen, tell her Merle.” Daryl was chattering away as he paced in back and forth across the clearing. She did the only other thing she could think of, she stepped into his path and hugged him hard.

Daryl stopped talking and froze in her arms, it took a minute before he reacted to her, he brought his arms around her body and squeezed. Em fought back the panic, she felt sure he would break a few ribs if he held on any tighter.

“Merle’s right Em, you can’t be a good girl no more.” He rubbed his face in her hair, undoubtedly fighting off what was being said in his head.

“What do you mean by that Daryl?” He squeezed her tighter, before letting go.

“I’ma teach you to kill and you’re gonna do it and you’re not gonna buy into this kumbaya bull shit. Everyone that thought they could compromise, that thought they was good people still out there is dead. Ain’t no more good people.”

“You said you thought I was a good person. Is that true?”

Daryl leaned away from her, a cautious look in his eyes. He nodded once.

“Then there are good people left. Your friends were right.” She tried to be strong as she stared back at him.

He got in her face again, pointing his finger right at her chest. “NO! Get that shit outta yer head now!”

“Daryl.” Ricks voice brought them out of their staring contest. Em sighed in relief, she was definitely losing.

“What.” He kept his eyes on Em.

“We need you to look at the van, having trouble with it. I’ll take care of Em.”

“No, she’s coming with me, she should learn about engines too.” He grabbed her by the upper arm and began pulling her back through the woods. Rick stepped in front of him, looking just as on edge as Daryl.

“I need to talk to her.” Daryl shook his head. “I can protect her, you know that better than most.” He tilted his head, Em watched a quite exchange pass between friends. Daryl let go of her roughly.

“If it goes there…..go there.” Was all he said before disappearing into the forest.

Rick made sure he was gone before turning back to Em. “How long has he been talking to himself?”

“Since I’ve known him, he’s talking to Merle and Beth.”

“You should have said something.”

“It wasn’t my story to tell.”

Rick rubbed his face, “I use to see my dead wife, I ain’t judging him, but those….” He lifted his hand up weakly before dropping it down, “hallucinations, made me act erratic. It isn’t safe.”

“I’ll take my chances, I’ll help. I can’t fight yet…but …I can alert him to real danger.”

“What if he turns on you….I turned on a few friends.” He admitted.

“I’ll still take my chances.”

“Well alright.” He gave her another tired smile. “Whatever this is between you and Daryl, I’m glad he has you.”

“Rick.”  

“Yeah.”

“I’m here for you too, if you need to talk. If there’s one thing I know I’m good at, it’s listening.”

He looked away from her, his hands on his hips, he nodded his head and looked back at her. “I appreciate that. Help Daryl and you help me, he’s more than a friend, he’s family, he’s my brother.”

“For what it’s worth Rick, I think Daryl and this group are lucky to have you as their leader.”

He gave her a real smile and patted her shoulder “Thank you, come on, time to head back.”

He let her go ahead of him and Emily smiled, when Rick made a promise he kept it, he would get her back to Daryl safe. Rick was a good man, Daryl was surrounded by really good people, he just lost sight of it for the moment, but she would help him see it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t mean to imply Daryl thinks he’s surrounded by bastards, he just sees most of the “tougher” survivors as he views himself. He keeps trying to hold on to his humanity and hope but it keeps slipping away, like with Beth. I think he half admires and half hates the people that hold on to theirs no matter the cost, but the fact that they keep dying scares the crap out of him in regards to Em.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol asks questions and Daryl comes to a surprising realization.

Daryl had his head in the engine of the van, they’d just gotten these vehicles a few days ago and it was problem after problem, he didn’t know how long they would last and even if they did, they didn’t have much gas. He sighed heavily and looked around for Em and Rick again. “Shouldn’ta left her with officer friendly.” Merle told him yet again, Daryl shook his head. “She’ll be fine, you know Rick can take care of her.” Beth scolded his brother.

“Don’t you two ever shut up?” he muttered into the motor.

“Daryl.” Carol’s voice floated under the hood of the van to him. He straightened up, he’d avoided Carol lately, she dragged up too many memories and Merle and Beth had a lot of opinions about her. The chattering in his head was constant but with people he knew well it was almost unbearable. He only dealt with Rick because he had too. He begged his mind to be silent and was surprised when his two constant companions agreed.

He gave her a small nod.

“Haven’t talked in a while.” She tried to catch his eye as he searched the wood line for Rick and Em again. He nodded his acknowledgement again.

“You and Meryl have gotten close.” She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Was she losing one of her closest friends and allies?

“Call her Em.”

“No room for the rest of us now?” For once she couldn’t read the look he was giving her.

“Ain’t that, just,” He looked up as he saw Em come through the tree line, Rick right behind her. Relief washed through him and he forgot the conversation he was just having.

“Em,” he motioned for her to join them.

Carol watched the girl approach, so Daryl was going to teach her about engines too, the young woman had somehow become his personal project.

“If you’re going to learn about this sort of stuff, Daryl’s the best.” She told the girl who’d just stopped beside her. “Em” only gave her a simple nod. Carol studied the girl, she was attractive, quiet, she didn’t give off any warning signs, but going out of the way to help people hadn’t been working out for them lately. She realized she’d been staring and looked away toward Daryl. While she’d been studying Em, he’d been studying her. She gave him a small closed lipped smile.

“I’ll leave you two, to it then.” Walking away she felt unfulfilled. She would need to try and talk to Daryl again, he was pulling away, just like he’d done back at the farm after Sofia, only this time he was taking someone with him. She wondered what it was about Em, she was attractive but Daryl never seemed to care about such things before. No, she decided, it had to be something else. She only hoped it wasn’t her friends undoing.

Daryl watched Carol walk away, he sighed deeply, he knew he should be grateful his friends cared enough to watch out for him but he needed a break, maybe a long break. He reached out and touched Em’s elbow briefly, needing her to ground him. Every time he spoke to the group he felt like he was spiraling into the past and he was trying to look to the future.

“What did Rick want?”

Em hesitated and it put him on edge.

“What Em?”

“He knows about Merle and Beth.”

“You told him!” he felt betrayed, betrayed by the one person he thought he could trust with his secret.

She shook her head violently back and forth, “No! No, I didn’t…he..uh…well, he heard in the woods.”

“What do you mean he heard, y’all can’t hear them?” he was angry and confused.

“No, but, Daryl you were talking out loud. Your side of the conversation doesn’t stay inside your head always. It’s easy to see your hearing things.” Daryl’s shoulders slumped.

“So he thinks I’m crazy, doesn’t trust me.”

“Not exactly. He’s worried, he said that he went through something similar and he’s afraid this will affect how you see things and put you in danger.”

“Put the group in danger, you mean.”

“He didn’t mention the group, he only mentioned you. I told him I would be there for you, I wouldn’t let anything sneak up on you if I could help it. It made him feel better, to know I will help. Nothings really changed.”

“Yeah, except now your my babysitter right!” he spat. “I thought you were helping but I’m getting worse.”

“Daryl please, you just went through another trauma. Please give yourself a break and I’m NOT your babysitter, we both know I need you way more than you need me. This is just my way of giving back just a little of what you give me.”

Daryl couldn’t deal with this all right now, he threw down the tool he’d been using and began walking away, back into his beloved woods, muttering curses and pushing tree branches violently out of the way.

“Are you going to follow him?” Carol asked coming up behind her. She looked worriedly at Daryl's retreating figure.

“Yes, but I think he needs a minute. He’s leaving a hell of a track for me to follow, I’ll find him.” Em was surprised at how confident she was in her tracking abilities, Daryl was a damn good teacher.

“I can go if you want.” The older woman offered."I don't know why he's upset but I can help."

“No, I’m the one he’s upset at. I need to fix it.”

The woman gave her a strange look. “I’m usually the Daryl whisperer around here.” She said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Em laughed a little, “The Daryl whisperer,” she looked off into the woods then shook her head. “Thank you but I’m the one that needs to do this, besides we’ve been doing OK up until now. A real friend doesn’t hand off responsibility because the going gets tough.”

She looked back at Carol. “At least that’s what my grandmother used to say.”

Carol nodded and walked away. Em watched her go, she’d said she was the Daryl whisperer, but she hadn’t seen Daryl say more than a couple of words to her. Had she been selfishly keeping her friend to herself? She blew out a big breath, one more thing Daryl and her needed to hash out, she began following Daryl’s winding path through the woods.

 

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Daryl stomped his way through the forest making sure he hit every branch in his way, his arms were covered in scratches and cuts by the time he stopped to take a breath. “Done with yer hissy fit little brother?”

“Just shut up!” He yelled gripping his hair in his hands. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” “Is that what you really want Daryl?” Beth’s voice was sad and low, almost a whisper. “We can go if you want.”

Daryl let himself fall onto his butt, defeated. “No.” he admitted. “I’m not ready.” A soft sigh was Beth’s only answer. “Better apologize to cutie pie then, or you’re gonna have to talk to them other assholes Darylina, or worse you end up aaaalllllll alone. Ain’t that what you’re really afraid of, the last man standin’, baby brother with no one to look out for, no one to tell him he’s worth somethin’?”

“Fuck you Merle, I ain’t afraid of nothin’.”

He brought up his knee to stand when a motion caught his eye. Em came out from between the trees. “Daryl, can we talk? Or are you still angry with me?”

“There you go Daryl, you gonna blame her for your own damn decision?” Merle’s voice was taunting but Daryl could sense the seriousness behind it. S _ince when do you give a damn if a woman is happy or not Merle?_ “Death puts things into perspective bro.” this time his voice was stone cold serious. “For once your brother and I agree.”  He closed his eyes, Beth’s voice sounded so real, they both sounded so real, how could it be all in his head. He pushed himself off of the ground getting up slowly.

“I ain’t mad. We can talk.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl becomes more aware of EM

Daryl stood up and slung his bow over his shoulder. _So what the hell am I supposed to say?_ “Asking the wrong man, Daryl.” He rubbed his hand over his face _Fuckin’ useless bastard_ “Be honest Daryl.” He nodded at Beth’s advice, shoulda asked her to begin with. Em was standing in front of him shifting nervously. He hadn’t seen her act that way towards him since the first night he met her.

“I’m sorry Daryl. I’ve made a mess of everything. Maybe you’re right, I’m not helping, I should step aside and let one of your friends help. I don’t blame you for not wanting me around anymore, Carol would probably do better..”

“Naw, I didn’t say that.” He looked away, he was no good at this. “Didn’t say for you not to be around.”

“Your friends know you better, I.” she threw up her hands, “I don’t know.”

“So you’re ditchin’ me? That it?” he automatically went into defense mode. “Things get a little too tough and yer jumpin’ ship?” he walked around her angry and hurt. “Easy there, don’t wanna spook er.” His brother was amused. “Not funny Merle.” Beth wasn’t amused she was angry. “Easy woman, she ain’t goin’ no where.” At least Merle sounded sure.

“I don’t want to jump ship Daryl.” Em leaned forward reached out her hands toward him pleadingly. Daryl froze. “I just don’t want to be the thing standing in your way. I know your friends miss you.” She took a small unsure step toward him, when he didn’t move she reached out and gripped his hand in hers.

“You are not under obligation to me. I’ll understand if you don’t want to continue teaching me, it takes a lot of your time and energy and you have to take care of yourself. I had thought I was helping you but your right I’m not. I’m taking all your time and not giving anything in return” She was staring down at their entwined hands.

Daryl was griping her hand tightly both their fingers white from the pressure. She didn’t look up at him, scared that she was about to lose her only friend.

“Yer helpin’,” he swallowed, not willing to tell her the real reason the voices were staying. “I ain’t the easiest ta get along with. Ain’t nothin’ gotta change.” He let go of her hand. “Come on got work ta do.”

Em nodded and followed him, he was wrong, things were different between them, a wall was there, where there wasn’t one before.

 

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Daryl had managed to fix the van, but they still ended up walking, they’d run out of gas. Em thought she’d known starvation before, but she was wrong. They were beaten down, hungry, thirsty and just plain exhausted. Daryl and her hadn’t talked much after their conversation in the woods, even when they went off with Sasha and Maggie to look for water. They’d come up short, the entire group had, it hadn’t rained in so long. Rick was trying to keep the group together, keep them focused but it was rough going. Daryl offered to go off on in search of food and water again, before Em could offer to go with him Carol was by his side. He glanced at her before walking off into the woods.

She walked with the group feeling defeated and tired. Despite what Daryl had said, she’d lost him. He was as distant to her now as everyone else was.

There was a herd following them, Rick had said they would take care of it when the time was right, apparently, the time was now. Em stood nervously by as the group made a plan to take care of the walkers. One by one they took their positions, Em searched the tree line for Daryl, her stomach churning when she was disappointed again.

The plan was almost immediately shot to hell when Sasha decided to break ranks. She watched as her tired companions began fighting the dead. As far as she knew, she was the only member of the group to not have killed a walker. She gripped her crowbar, muttering prayers for those in the battle and herself. It was more intense than she could have ever dreamed, the dead seemed to come from all directions at once, she stood protectively in front of Carl and Judith. Her heart leapt to her throat as she saw Rick almost get bit. She shifted to keep the sight from Carl. Daryl finally arrived, just in time to help Rick, she let out a relieved breath. They were done, all the dead had been put down and she allowed herself a smile. She was just about to turn and check on Carl and Judith when a clammy wet hand gripped her shoulder. She jerked away, coming face to face with tall dead man. The group she’d been standing with had already moved forward, eager to check on their loved ones, she was alone with this dead thing.

Her mouth gaped open in an effort to scream, nothing came out, she took a couple of stumbling steps back and lost her footing. The thing pounced on her, she instinctively swung the crowbar, hitting it head. It’s skull cracked opened and the body slumped down to the ground next to her. She searched around for more of the dead, her chest heaving. She didn’t hear the pounding of footsteps until they were right on her, she turned in terror as a pair of strong hands yanked her up from the ground.

“Did it get ya?! Are you bit?” Daryl was screaming in her face, someone else reached for her and he angrily swatted their hands away. “Are you bit Em?!!”

“N..N..No.” she stuttered. “No!” she pushed his roaming hands away. “I killed it.” Her body started to shake. “I killed him.”

Daryl stopped searching her body for wounds. “Ya had to, won’t be the last. This is it now Em, I told you, ya gotta get tough.” She took a step toward him, needing comfort but stopped as she saw the group behind him. He’d only ever hugged her when they were alone, he might not appreciate her hugging him in front of everyone. She wrapped her arms around herself instead and jerked her head in a half assed nod.

 

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They were walking again always walking. Daryl glanced at Em, he wouldn’t leave her again, her face was blank, but her arms were still wrapped tightly around her middle. “So hug her.” Beth sounded exasperated. “I’m with Blondie.” Merle agreed. _She don’t want me to, she pushed me away._ “Aw hell brother woman don’t know they own mind half tha time.” “I can’t believe it but I’m agreeing with him…in this case. She was scared Daryl.” _NO! I ain’t forcin’ myself on her. Fuck off._ His lip twitched angrily.

They settled beneath a tree to rest a bit. He sat next to Em but left a wide gap between them. She stared silently into the fire. The sound of growls brought him to attention, he grasped Beth’s knife, the one Carol had given him earlier, ready for battle. The battle never came, Sasha took care of the pack of dogs that had just stepped onto the road before the damn things could even twitch towards them. Rick stood up and began breaking branches in half. “Looks like dogs on the menu brother, Korea should be happy.” Merle snickered.

They cooked the meat over the fire, nobody hesitated to eat it, not even Em.

Then they were walking again. Em hadn’t said a word to him since she’d gotten attacked. Glenn offered her water, she declined, he offered it to Daryl, he shook his head.

Glenn let his hand fall in frustration, “We can make it together, but we can only make it together.” He walked off dejected.

“Tell them I went lookin’ for water.” He told Abraham. “Come on.” He grabbed Em’s upper arm, gently leading her into the woods again.

The tension was thick between them. They came up to a barn and Daryl sat himself under a nearby tree, relieved when Em followed his example and sat next to him. He brought out his last few cigarettes, offering Em one, she shook her head, no. He lit one inhaling deeply a few times before putting it out on his hand.

“No!” Em slapped the butt away from his hand, stomping it out with her boot.

“What are you doing?” Her eyes wide with shock.

Daryl didn’t answer, he began to cry. “Aw hell ya pussy.” _Shut up! Merle!_ “Shut up! Merle!” Beth echoed. He hung his head down letting the tears fall. Em threw her arms around his shoulders.

“Daryl what’s happening.” She couldn’t keep her own tears from falling, she’d been holding back since her attack, for fear of upsetting him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, gripping her to him so tightly she was dragged onto his lap.

“I don’t want them to go, Merle and Beth.” He mumbled into her neck.

“I hate that I killed something, I don’t care that it wanted to eat me.” She mumbled back.

“We’re fucked up.” He wiped his face and nose on her shirt.

“Yeah.” She laughed a little at his gross gesture, he was almost like a child sometimes.

Daryl leaned his forehead against her shoulder. It felt good to get it all out, and Em was comforting and easy to talk to as always. “Getting pretty cozy there.” A smug voice pointed out. Daryl suddenly became self-aware. This was the closest he’d been to a woman in longer than he could remember. He thought of how Beth had hugged him, how he’d carried her around more than once, but Em was on his lap, his face was pressed up against her, his arms wrapped around her, nearly every inch of them touching. The second after his mind became aware of their closeness, his body did too. He felt himself harden against the back of her thigh and panicked. He shoved her away from him violently and jumped up.

“oooofff” Em landed on her back.

Daryl looked around anxiously “I …uh…I heard something.” He tried to cover, pulling out his knife to sell the lie. “Smooth, little brother.” Merle didn’t bother sounding mad.

Em didn’t look like she bought it, giving him a strange look before she began getting up. Daryl moved forward awkwardly to help but she was already standing, brushing off the dirt from her butt and thighs.

“Should we head back?” she asked. He nodded, trying to keep the humiliating bulge hidden from view, with his crossbow.

She stopped short after a few steps and turned around almost causing him to ram right into her.

“Are we good now Daryl? Are we still friends?” he could see the desperation in her eyes, after nearly a year alone, he guessed that even a Dixon was a welcomed companion.

“Yeah.” He croaked out. _If I don’t screw it up._

Em smiled and began walking again. She hadn’t felt his erection, she knew he was lying about the noise and she knew he’d been embarrassed and nervous about something, but figured it was the crying. From the little she knew of men, they didn’t like to cry. A man like Daryl might think it was a sign of weakness. She’d make sure not to mention it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Em are unsure of the future

Em’s mouth felt like sandpaper, the jugs of water taunting her from their spot on the road. The note said they were from a friend, maybe she could try one out, she was easily the most expendable of the group. Daryl grabbed her wrist, almost as if he’d read her mind.

Daryl grabbed hold of Em not because he guessed her thoughts, but because Merle had. He’d been too wrapped up in his own depressed and humiliated thoughts to notice the way she was looking at those bottles. He finally took the time to glance at everyone else and to listen to the conversation going on around him. Eugene was the one that made the move to take a drink, Daryl didn’t much care if he wanted to offer himself up as a tester, but Abraham didn’t let him get that far.

Em could hardly believe it when the sky let loose a giant rain storm. She looked up at the cloudy sky, her body soaking up the rain drops thirstily. She turned to look at Daryl only to find him staring off at the road, oblivious to the blessing they’d just received. She looked around at the rest of the group, Maggie and Sasha wore the same look as Daryl, and Em wondered if they half hoped to die.

Daryl wasn’t wishing to die, he was listening. Beth was singing a soft song about the rain, he didn’t think she knew she was singing out loud. He listened to the haunting melody and even Merle stayed silent, but the moment wasn’t meant to last long, a storm was moving in, a bad one.

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Daryl was pacing in front of the barn door, Em sitting on an overturned bucket watching him move back and forth. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, exhaustion took over immediately and she must have fallen asleep because next thing she knew she was awoken by the sound of people running by her. Most of the group was fighting to keep the barn doors closed, from walkers or the storm, she couldn’t tell, but Daryl was in the middle his face strained with effort. Em ran to him, pushing against his back to help, from under his arm she could see glimpses of the dead that were trying to make their way in. Daryl tried to push her away, indicating quickly that she should get away, she only shook her head and pushed harder.

The storm finally ended, sweeping the bodies of their pursuers away with it. Daryl was cleaning a music box, he refused to sleep. Em had tried to stay up with him but had lost the battle about an hour ago. He caught sight of Maggie stirring, she was getting ready to wake up. She’d been livelier the last couple of days and that was good, Beth wouldn’t have wanted her to just give up. He gave her the music box when she sat next to him, let her know he thought Beth was tough, it was all he could really offer her. Beth said nothing, it was silent. He watched Maggie and Sasha head outside and went to lay down next to Em. He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder _Nothin’ Merel? Ain’t gonna tell me ta go for it? Ain’t gonna tell me not ta screw it up?_   Silence. He let his hand drop back down onto his chest. She wouldn’t want him pawing at her as she slept. Truth was, he didn’t really know what he wanted from her right now. He closed his eyes and tried to enjoy having his mind to himself for a while.

 

The peace of the morning was broken when Maggie and Sasha brought a stranger into their barn. The man’s name was Aaron, to Em he seemed like a nice guy. Daryl hadn’t said anything to her after pushing her behind Rick and going to frisk the man. For a guy that kept claiming she needed to toughen up he went out of his way to coddle her. She stayed out of the way as best she could, following the lead of the more docile members of the group. Daryl’s eyes were darting between her, Rick and the stranger.

The air in the barn was thick with tension and Rick’s face wore an expression that scared the living hell out of her, not even the baby in his arms could take away from the menacing picture he painted. As Aaron talked, Em listened, what he proposed sounded good, a place to stay, safety. Rick didn’t lose the hostility in his stance and Daryl’s head jerked to the side occasionally. Em knew that meant someone was talking to him. Then Rick shocked her by punching the poor man, knocking him unconscious. Everyone moved without having to be told and Aaron was tied up. Michonne and Maggie seemed to be the only two other people willing to give the man a chance. Em tried to step toward the man as Daryl sat him on the ground against a pillar, but her friend pushed her back, shaking his head.

A plan was formed, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, Rosita and Abraham went to find the cars Aaron claimed he left out on the road, the rest of them spread out around the barn to keep watch against possible attackers. Daryl gripped her hand taking her with him. Rick stayed with Aaron and Judith.

“He seems nice.” Daryl didn’t answer her. “That was brave of him, walking into the barn with all of us like that.”

“Brave or he has a damn army waitin’ out here to back him up.”

“What do Merle and Beth say?” she didn’t know why she asked.

“They ain’t no damn help. Merle ain’t never trusted anyone in his life and Beth……she’s like you.”

Em stayed silent, what did it matter what she thought anyway, she looked out into the forest. It was quiet, no sign of anyone or anything. She looked back at Daryl, he was staring at her.

“This place, if it’s real, you could make friends, wouldn’ have to be stuck with me all the damn time.”

Em gave him a confused looked. “I don’t think I’m the one that’s stuck.” She looked away. “I’ve never been any good at making friends.”

Daryl nodded."Me niether."

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The others had brought back food. The guy’s story checked out so far. “Told ya little brother, guys a fairy ain’t gonna do nothin’.” He let his leg fall slightly so that it was touching Em’s. _Gay don’t translate ta nice._ “Yeah, why didn’cha tell your girl tha truth. You’re tha one that don’ trust him.” _She ain’t my girl. Where’s Beth?_ “I ain’t her keeper, maybe she had shit ta do.” Merle laughed at his tasteless joke. _We need to try this, can’t keep on._ “But you don’t want ta go do ya. Can’t blame ya, Woodbury weren’t no good for me, even savage as it was, Dixon’s and civility ain’t the greatest mix.”

He looked at Em she was staring at Rick, he looked at their leader and tried to pay attention. Michonne was clearly for going, she was downright defiant. Then Rick asked and he answered. “This barn smells like horse shit.” It wasn’t a vote for or against, his heart wasn’t completely in it. Em shifted closer to him.

 

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They had lost their friends, again. The road was filled with walkers, they couldn’t follow. They were driving the RV through a back road when they saw the flare go up.

“Did you see that?” Maggie was up and at the front window. “Aaron had a flare, that could be them.”

The hope in her voice was heartbreaking. Daryl closed his heart, the last time he hoped had gone so wrong. Em grabbed his hand discreetly. He considered pulling away, unwilling to allow any chink in the armor. He twitched slightly, “Don’t Daryl.” He relaxed, Beth was back.

They didn’t find their group but they found Aarons companion. “Told ya he was a fag.” Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother. He waited outside the building and Em insisted on waiting with him. He didn’t want to hope, he didn’t dare hope. Rick, Michonne and Glenn were three of the most important people in the world to him, if he lost them again. He shook his head at the thought.

He finally heard it, the whistle. They were back. He breathed out a sigh of relief and whistled back. Em stood up from her seat on the ground a large grin on her face. The reunion was quick and understated, how Glenn and Maggie could separate he didn’t understand, where he went Em went. “And she ain’t yer woman?” _Shut up._

Whatever else they were Aaron and Eric were clearly in love. Aaron was ready to fight Rick to stay with his companion. He could sympathize, he wouldn’t let a stranger separate him from his family either, but Daryl didn’t get involved, he didn’t like going against Rick, their leader had done them good. It seemed he was one of the few to feel that way. Glenn was the next of his friends to argue with Rick and to his credit Rick listened. That was what made Rick a great leader to Daryl, he listened he gave his group a voice, he wasn’t run by ego. “He’s alright, I guess.” Merle coincided. Beth gave a small laugh.

It was decided, they’d go to the community. In the morning they’d head to Alexandria. He slept closer to Em, letting his back touch hers. They hadn’t slept more than a few feet apart since they met, he didn’t know what to expect once they made it to Aaron’s community.

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The ride to Alexandrea was a long one, not in miles but in everything else. Daryl was nervous, she thought maybe it was the possible danger, but it felt like something else. She leaned in and whispered to him,

“If it’s safe, will you still teach me, Daryl.” He just blinked at her, “I mean, I would still like to learn things.“ she looked down at her hands, feeling stupid.

“ye..ughm..yeah,” he croaked out.

“Thanks, I’ll find some way to pay you back. It might be easier here.”

Daryl only shook his head at her. She looked out at the road feeling silly and nervous. They were going to a community, a community would be full of people, she should be happier but she was only worried that Daryl would forget about her once he found a better way to spend his time. He wouldn’t have to protect her anymore, whatever mission he’d given himself with regards to her would be over. That scared her.

Daryl was thinking the same thoughts only in reverse. It would be easier for her to see the redneck white trash he was in a community. She'd realize she didn't need him anymore. In the prison he had a purpose, he was a bit of a leader, now he was just Daryl Dixon again, he’d have to adapt to a whole bunch of new people, he wasn’t sure he could do it


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Alexandria

“We brought dinner.” Daryl grunted out holding the possum he’d just shot by the tail. Em snorted softly, apparently she was the only one that found him funny. The man at the gates looked at Daryl like he had two heads, Daryl glared back. Rick was still on edge and he was too, he already felt like an outsider.

Em was still sticking close to him and he was happy about that. Merle and Beth had both decided to abandon him for the moment and Em being around helped ground him. One by one they each began going in to see this Deanne person for their “interviews”, he bristled at that. He’d never begged anyone for anything in his life and he wasn’t going to start now. There was no way he’d change a speck of who he was to impress this woman.

When it was Em’s turn she looked at him, the asshole that eyed him earlier called her again but Em didn’t move. He wiped his brow with his forearm, nodding quickly and motioned for her to go ahead, he followed her into the house.

“Hello,” an older woman greeted them. “I prefer to interview one on one.” Her eyes shifting back and forth between Em and him. Em stepped closer and a little behind him.

“You can do us together.” He growled out, he jerked his chin at Em for her to sit down. She hesitated a moment then sat in front of the camera.

“I’m Deanne Munroe.” The woman kept her tone light but the smile she gave them didn’t reach her eyes.

Em looked at him again, waiting to see if he was going to respond. When he didn’t, she answered for them.

“I’m Meryl, but everyone calls me Em, an he’s,” she looked up at him again, “he’s Daryl Dixon.”

“You two are married?”

Daryl ignored the question, looking around the room, he’d never been in a house like this. He didn’t belong in a house like this. Em answered for them again.

“No.” she didn’t elaborate and he liked that.

“Ok,” Deanne looked up at him. “You’re welcome to sit Daryl, I won’t bite.”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” He kept looking around.

“Daryl, Do you want to be here?”

“Got a boy and a baby, they deserve a roof.” he looked at Em _she deserves a roof_ “I guess.” He finished.

Deanne gave him a strange look. “How about you Em?”

“I’ll go where Daryl and my friends go.” The woman looked between them again, her brows scrunched up in thought.

“What did you do before Em?” Em squirmed in her seat and Daryl knew she was uncomfortable.

“What’s it matter what she did? You writing a book?” he barked at the lady. Deanne didn’t answer for a moment, then she took a deep breath.

“Everyone here has a job, I’d like to place you somewhere you’d be comfortable.”

“I didn’t do anything. I can sew, cook, crochet, and quilt. I can do things a housewife would do, I guess.”

“Is that what you were? A housewife?”

Em shook her head, “I took care of my grandparents.” She looked at Daryl, he was still moving around the room, refusing to settle anywhere. “I’d prefer not to be around too many people.”

“Daryl what about you?”

He gave a humorless laugh. “I ain’t much of a people person neither.”

Deanne looked at Em like she was trying to communicate something, but Em wouldn’t look at her she kept her eyes locked on Daryl. He looked back at her surprised to see how uncomfortable and nervous she was. He kept forgetting that she’d been all alone for a very long time, she’d attached herself to him and he hoped he wouldn’t drag her down because of it, especially in this new clean cut community.

“Could I speak to you alone Meryl?” Deanne finally dropped the subtlety.

“Em.” Daryl snapped.

“What?”

“Em, she said call her Em.” He looked to his friend to see if she wanted to talk to this lady on her own.

“Sorry. Em, may I speak with you alone.”

Em was looking at him a hint of panic in her eyes. “No.” she finally turned to look at their interviewer.

“Only for a moment I..”

“No.” Em answered again, “If Daryl’s leaving then I want to leave.” She stood up.  
“Em, I won’t bite you either.” Deanne gave a small laugh, trying to ease the tension. Daryl had had enough, he grabbed Em’s wrist.

“She said she didn’t wanna, we done?”

Deanne nodded a false smile plastered on her face. Daryl grunted at her and led Em out of the house. “You know that bitch thinks yer beatin’ the shit outta her.” Merle had decided to come back. _I know_ he grumbled back. “She thinks yer white trash and Em’s stupid.” His brother continued. _Got a point?_ “Just makin’ sure ya know where ya stand little brother.” _I know, I fuckin’ know._

“Thanks.” Em was almost jogging to keep up with his pace, he stopped.

“Why?”

“It was weird, I don’t want to be alone with her, or anyone else, really.”

“You’re alone with me all the damn time.”

“It’s different with you, and the rest of the group too, a little bit.”

He nodded, he could understand that. “She thinks I’m beatin’ ya.”

“What?” Em’s eyes widened in shock. “Why?”

“Cause I’m a redneck and you kept lookin’ at me like you was askin’ permission to talk or somthin’.”

“That’s stupid, I didn’t mean for her to think that. I’m sorry Daryl.” She bit her lip. “Are you sure she thinks that?”

Daryl tore his eyes from her lips, “Yeah, Merle does too.” He looked away, hoping she hadn’t noticed him looking.

“I’m such a dummy, I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just trust you the most is all.” She rubbed her brow with her wrist.

“Eh, don’t worry, she ain’t the first to think tha worst of me.” He started walking, he could feel the anger building up inside him again, it was like being hurled back into the past. White trash Daryl Dixon, gonna turn out just like his daddy.

“Then she’s an idiot.” Em fell into step beside him. He didn’t answer her, truth was, he didn’t know if she was an idiot, he was never around anyone long enough to find out if he was just like dear old dad. “Shit brother, if I managed never to beat a woman, you really think you got that in ya.” Merle scoffed. He really hoped his brother was right, because if they stayed he’d be living with Em, he wasn’t going to leave her knowing she was uncomfortable with all of these new people. “Sure Darylina, that’s why.” _Fuck off Merle._


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl has trouble adjusting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Spoilers for season five

Em sat next to Daryl as he began cleaning the possum, making sure to cause as much of a mess as possible. He threw a pile of guts on the pristine porch.

“Whoever owned this house is probably rolling in their grave at the mess you’re making.” She laughed a little.

“hmm,” Daryl grunted. Em shook her head, he’d been in a bad mood all day. She couldn’t blame him, if he was right about what Deanne thought of him, he had every right to be upset.

“The shower is available.” Rick walked out onto the porch.

“You go,” Daryl told her. Em jumped up. A shower sounded like heaven on Earth at the moment.

“Are you going anywhere?” she asked him.

“No,” He replied shaking the blood off his hand, splattering the side of the house.

“Ok, I won’t be long.” She turned to walk into the house when Daryl’s annoyed voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Take as long as ya want! I ain’t your daddy.” He didn’t look at her as he wiped his hands on his pants. Em glanced at Rick her cheeks flushing pink.

“Sorry.” She mumbled and made her way inside the house before he could answer. She gave Carl and Carol a small embarrassed smile as she passed them on their way out.

The bathroom was stocked with everything she could possible need, she tried to push Daryl out of her mind and enjoy the luxuries she was given. The shower had hot water and soap and shampoo and conditioner. Em scrubbed herself until her skin turned red and washed her hair twice. She was just about to shut off the shower when she spotted a razor, nobody would ever really see her legs but the idea of getting rid of all her unwanted hair was too alluring.

By the time she finally stepped out of the bathroom she felt like a new person. She’d left her unruly hair out of it’s customary pony tail, letting it flow like a mane around her head. Whoever had stocked the house had left clothes and she found a t-shirt and a hoodie that didn’t look like an old lady had bought them like her old ones did.

She looked in the mirror and smiled, she looked like a regular girl. It was silly but she’d always dressed about 30 years older that she actually was and she always envied the other woman in her church that dressed fashionably. The outfit she was wearing wasn’t anything special but the black t-shirt had a band logo and the hoodie was lightweight and cut to fit her curves. They looked nice with the jeans Daryl had found for her.

Her smile faded a little when she thought of Daryl. He’d snapped at her and it was clear that she was annoying him. She was being too clingy, she couldn’t expect to take up all his time. She smoothed down the front of her shirt. She would give him his space, it wouldn’t be easy for her with all these new people but Daryl was right, she needed to toughen up.

“Suck it up Meryl.” She glared at herself in the mirror. Taking a deep breath she walked out of the bathroom. Daryl wasn’t on the porch anymore but she fought down the urge to find him. She went back into the house and began pursuing the book shelf looking for something to read to pass the time.

 

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“What are you doing in here?” Daryl’s angry voice made her jump. She turned with wide eyes, _What had she done now?_

Daryl had been glaring at the young woman’s back. _Did they think sending a young girl was going to get them to put their guard down?_ He didn’t care if the woman looked good from behind, that curly hair… _Wait! That curly hair._ “Oh Daryl, you’re an idiot.” Beth breathed out.

Em looked startled as she turned around. “I was just finding a book to read. Was I supposed to be somewhere?” she wasn’t quite looking at him. Daryl tried to keep his eyes on her face, but failed.

“Motorhead?” he looked at her shirt.

“What?” she sounded confused.

“Your shirt, Motorhead. You know who Motorhead is?” Daryl finally got his eyes off her chest and looked at her face. She glanced down at her tee.

“Uh, no just found it.” She still wasn’t looking at him.

“Merle loved them.”

Em nodded at him and turned back to the bookcase, “I liked it, I’ll zip up the hoodie if it bothers you or something.”

He stared at her back, his eyes flickering down to her bottom against his will. “Not too shabby bro.” He could practically hear Merle licking his lips before breaking out his signature grin. Daryl walked back outside to sit on the porch. If he noticed Em so would everyone else, he didn’t know if he should stay away or keep a closer eye on her.

 

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When she walked into the living room that night it was clear that she wouldn’t be sleeping next to her friend. Daryl had made his bed between the playpen and the window. Rick handed her a blanket and a pillow and she made herself a bed on the other side of the room from Daryl. He hadn’t even looked her way once.

They had just settled down for the night when someone knocked on the door, Deanne walked in smiling at Rick. She made small pleasantries about everyone’s new position in the town. Apparently she had some idea of what to do with Em but she was still “just trying to figure Mr. Dixon out,” Em didn’t miss the way the older woman’s eyes measured the distance between Daryl and her. She said her goodbyes and they all went to bed.

Em wasn’t able to sleep much.

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The next morning, the rest of the group began exploring their new community, even Em. She didn’t ask him if he wanted to come or even sit by him on the porch, she just followed Carl and Judith without a look in his direction. Rick was the last one out.

“They said explore, let’s explore.” He said.

“Na, I’ll stay.” He hated this place, he didn’t want to get to know it any better.

“Lori and me use to dream of living in a place like this.” Rick looked out at the neighboring houses.

“Well, here we are.” Daryl stared down at his hands. He never dreamt of living in a place like this, it would have been a dumbass dream. Just the thought of a Dixon in one of these houses was a joke.

Rick walked off and left him alone on the porch. He looked around, he was a fish out of water. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the porch railing. Em was already ignoring him, she looked good, she didn’t need him anymore. He had no place here, he got up and paced the porch.

An hour later the group came back, he noticed Em talking to a man before following the group down their street. Daryl felt his lip curl, and the anger that had been building up inside him all day threatened to boil over.

 

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Em walked slowly down the street toward her new home. The man that had talked to her made her uncomfortable. He’d mentioned that he had a wife and kid, but kept leering at her in a way that made her feel naked despite having zipped up her hoodie. She’d never had that kind of male attention and wasn’t sure if how he was acting was normal or if he was just a creep. The only person she felt comfortable asking would be Daryl but she was trying to give him some breathing room. Em was fairly sure that question about how men interacted with woman were low on Daryl’s list of priorities.

That night was the same, Daryl slept in his enclosed space far from her and Em hardly slept at all. She could hear Rick and Michonne talking, Rick wasn’t entirely comfortable in this community and a part of Em was hoping they would just leave. She felt so lost.

 

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Daryl was cleaning his crossbow on the porch. It had been a day since he’d hung out with Em or even talked to her. Carol came out looking like some Carol Brady wannabe. He was just about done with all this shiny happy people bullshit. He couldn’t help telling her she looked ridiculous when she gave him that line about “keeping up appearances” he had so much anger building up inside of him, he might as well be back drinking and drugging at some tweekers house with Merle. It was like the past few years never happened, he was no good, bad news, the outcast reject again. “Don’t forget who you are Daryl. You aren’t that guy anymore.” Beth had been trying to talk him out of his funk for the last few hours, but Daryl wasn’t about to buy into that hopeful thinking again. It never got him anywhere.

A woman came over with clothes that Em was supposed to tailor and mend. She’d been inside all morning on the couch, humming to herself and working. Daryl stayed outside.

 

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Em was working, concentrating on her sewing to keep from going out into the porch. Daryl seemed pretty happy to be away from her and she felt like a fool for thinking he enjoyed her company to begin with. She didn’t have much to offer by way of conversation and she supposed everybody got tired of talking about themselves eventually.

She rubbed her eyes, she needed a break, her eyes were strained and it was giving her a headache. She’d just gotten up to stretch when she heard a commotion outside. She ran out to find Daryl walking quickly down the porch steps, she followed him. It came as shock to her when Glenn punched one of the men from the community. Before she could register what had happened Daryl was tackling the man’s friend. He was choking the man violently, and the man was struggling to breath. She was nervously trying to decide what to do when Rick showed up. She let out a sigh of relief when Rick stopped the assault.

Once Rick got him off the man, Daryl paced back and forth like a caged animal and Em was reaching out to grab his arm before she realized she was doing it. He smacked her hand off him without even looking in her direction and Em jerked back. He kept up his relentless pacing, his eyes never once leaving the man he’d tackled until he’d walked away.

Em caught Deanne’s eyes on her and looked down feeling stupid....again. Deanne gave Rick and Michonne the jobs of constable and Daryl seemed even angrier than before at the news. He pushed past Em grabbing his crossbow as he walked away. She turned to follow him, leaving a few feet of distance between them. She didn’t know what she’d done wrong, but she knew when she wasn’t wanted.

The man from earlier, with the wife and kid, stopped her to ask if she was alright.

“Yes, I’m fine thank you.” She continued walking. Daryl had slowed down some and she was nearly caught up to him, she wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but with this man falling into step with her she was happy to have someone from her group nearby even if he didn’t seem to like her much at the moment.

“Women shouldn’t involve themselves in fights, especially fights between men, they could get hurt.” The man’s tone was condescending.

“I wasn’t trying to get involved in the fight.” Em defended herself.

“I saw you try to grab that redneck looking guy. Not smart.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. Em could see Daryl on the front porch, she just wanted to get into the house.

“Daryl’s my friend.” She wasn’t sure if that was true anymore but she wasn’t going to let this man talk down Daryl either way. “He isn’t a redneck.” She tried to step away from him but the man griped her shoulder tighter.

“You are too nice for you own good girly.” He laughed and let her go. “See you around Em.” He strutted down the street. Em swallowed, she didn’t care what anyone said, she didn’t like that man. She walked slowly up the porch steps, she had a sudden need for another shower.

“Make a new friend.” Daryl growled out at her. She looked up, suddenly she was very angry.

“You hit me.”

“The hell I did.” Daryl stepped away from her. She stepped closer, she hadn’t done anything to deserve the way he’d been treating her.

“Yes, you did. I just wanted to see if you were ok after that fight and you slapped my hand away. If you don’t want to be my friend anymore then fine.” She spat out, “but you don’t get to hit me.” She stuck her finger in his face.

Daryl’s lip curled up, “So you run right out and get yourself another sucker to take care of you, Huh.” He got in her face.

“That man is married! With a kid!” she answered shocked.

“Wow, classy Meryl.” He snickered.

The color drained from Em’s face. “That’s what you think…you think….I.” she shook her head. “You know about me. I haven’t, I wouldn’t.” she stuttered.

“I know what you told me, don’t mean it’s true.”

Em stepped back. “I guess you can’t make it any clearer than that.” She turned and walked into the house angrily brushing away tears.

 

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Daryl felt like shit, Merle and Beth weren’t talking to him and Em had separated herself from the group, she made her bed as far from him and everyone else as possible. She was currently curled up with her back to the group reading a book. He wanted to apologize badly, so instead he went outside to smoke. He was a damn coward.

Rick and Carol joined him, he couldn’t help but feel betrayed by Rick. They were back to square one, the criminal and the cop. He was trying to be more supportive of their leader, but seeing that uniform stung and Carol in that stupid outfit didn’t help matters. But then Rick started talking.

“We’ll just take this place” with those five little words Rick let Daryl know he was still the leader. There was still a little bit of hope for him, for Daryl to maybe make this place work.

He finished his cigarette and tried to figure out a game plan, he needed to do something about Em, if they were staying he couldn’t let things go on like this. He owed her an apology, he just couldn’t face the fact that he’d hit her, he hadn't realize he’d hit her but instead of manning up and apologizing right away, he’d made things even worse by implying she was a home-wrecker. He’d fucked up, big time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paraphrasing and quoting of some scenes in "Forget" S5 TWD so *Spoiler warning*

Em was doing a damn good job of avoiding him. He trudged through the woods to meet Rick and Carol, this meeting meant a lot to him. He was still in Ricks close circle at least. They made plans to steal some guns, he’d noticed a change in Rick’s demeanor, their leader was much more feral of late, maybe he wasn’t the only fish out of water.

After working out the details, they finished their meeting, leaving Daryl with not much else to do. He wandered through the trees, he felt at home here out in the open, away from prying eyes. A steady footfall to his left alerted him to the fact that he was being followed.

“Come out! Now!” he yelled raising his crossbow.

Aaron stepped out of the brush with his hands up, claiming to be looking for rabbits. “He’s full of shit bro.” _Yeah, I know._

The guy started asking questions about good guys and bad guys, questioning Rick’s judgment slightly. Daryl was no fool, he knew there was something the man wasn’t telling him.

“I know why you’re out here.” Aaron gave him a knowing smile. “Mind if I join you?”

Daryl said nothing for a bit, “Yeah, I guess a fag would know what it’s like ta be on tha outside.” Merle actually sounded a little sympathetic, well, if you could get past the “fag” comment. _Seems alrigh’_ Daryl consulted his brother. “Said he was from tha beginin’, didn’t I.” his brother answered smugly.

Daryl let the man tag along _Might have somethin’ worthwhile ta say._ “Yep” Merle answered.

They found a horse, “Buttons” Aaron called him. “What a fuckin’ queer thing ta name such a beautiful animal.” Merle scoffed. Daryl looked at Aaron who was pulling out a rope to tie the animal.

“Uh, one of the kids saw him running past the gates and thought he looked like a buttons.” He smiled weakly. Daryl took the rope from the man, he could help him do this.

“The longer they’re out there, the more they become what they are.” He thought of Rick and Carol for some reason.

Then the dead came, “the dead”, that’s what Em called them, the horse ran off and Daryl helped Aaron track him. Another quest, at least his heart wasn’t in this one, it was just something to do.

Aaron began talking, talking about being an outsider. _Guess you was righ’ on that one, Merle._ His brother was silent and Daryl had to give him credit for not rubbing it in. Aaron mentioned the party, he was the second person to ask him to go. What the hell would someone like him do at a party? Then again, maybe Em would go, he still needed to talk to her.

They found the horse, Buttons. He was trapped in a pen with the walkers, they tried to move fast, save the poor beast but things happened, walkers happened, like they always did. He saw the pain in Aarons eyes as he put the poor animal down and Daryl felt much better about the man all of a sudden.

“You were trying to help him.” He offered condolences, before heading back home. “Home?” his brother questioned. Daryl twitched his head slightly, then glanced at Aaron to make sure he hadn’t noticed, but the man was lost in his thoughts. _For now_ he answered his brother. The rest of the trip back was silent, he gave Aaron a nod before heading back to the house.

If Em was home he didn’t see her, he walked from room to room, unsure of what to next. Finally he found himself in front of the bathroom.

“Fuck it.” He said and walked in.

  


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Em was hiding from Daryl like a wimp, She’d seen him coming up the porch steps and slipped out the back door. She was already dressed for the party, Rosita had handed her a dress and shoes earlier with a smile.

“I think these would look really amazing on you.” She said.

Em took the garment, “Thank you. I wasn’t gonna go to the party though.”

She let her hand smooth down the pretty teal colored material. It really was a beautiful dress, it was modest, it would fall to just above her knees and it had an A-line silhouette that looked a little retro without being old-fashion. She really wanted to put it on. She studied the shoes, they looked a little like silver ballet slippers, she smiled, these she could walk-in, if Rosita had picked heels, she would have fallen on her face in less than a minute.

“You should go.” Rosita answered her. “If only to wear that dress.” She patted Em’s shoulder and walked away.

Em had followed her advice, she showered and dressed, and didn’t want to admit to how long she looked at herself in the mirror. She felt pretty, and if she was honest with herself, she wanted Daryl to see her. She touched the boatneck collar of the dress, she wasn’t showing any cleavage or much leg, so she still felt comfortable. She wondered if it was something he would like on a woman. She thought about their fight last night and shook her head. She was being stupid, he wouldn’t care, he didn’t seem to think very much of her anymore anyway.

She would go to the party and show Rosita the dress, she had to thank her, even if no one else cared about what she wore and even if it was just a dress, Rosita had given Em something she’d never had before, she wanted to thank her again.

So now she was hiding in the back yard because she didn’t want Daryl to see her and make some mean comment. She wanted to enjoy this feeling a little bit longer, they didn’t have anything to say to each other anyway, she’d avoided him all morning too.

She peeked through the hallway window, spotting Daryl going into the bathroom. As soon as he was safely inside she made her way to the party. Her first real party.

  


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Daryl stood outside Deanne’s house, he was showered and dressed in his cleanest clothes. He could see shadows moving through the curtains, he couldn’t do it. He didn’t belong in there, he’d wait for Em to get back to the house, maybe he’d hide in the bushes, she couldn’t avoid him if she didn’t know where he was. “You sound like a damn stalker Darylina.” _Shut up, you wanna go to that damn party?_ “Fuck that.” His brother replied. Daryl huffed, and headed back to the house. He was half way home when Aaron stopped him.

“Daryl.”

“I thought you were goin’ to that party over there.” Daryl answered him annoyed.

“Oh, I was never going to go, not with Eric's ankle. Thank God.”

“Then why’d ya tell me ta go.” He growled.

“I asked you to try, it’s a thought that counts kind of thing.’

“Alright.” Daryl answered, he didn’t give a damn anyway.

“Come have dinner with us, it’s spaghetti.” Aaron smiled at him and motioned him inside. Daryl stared after him for a bit before he decided to follow. _Hey, spaghetti is spaghetti._

_  
_

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After Em had shown Rosita her outfit and blushed furiously at the other woman’s praise, she didn’t know what to do. Several different women had walked up to her and complimented her dress before trying to engage her in idle conversation. Em failed at it of course and they all eventually wandered away. She did notice a few of the men look her up and down appreciatively and she couldn’t help but squirm at the attention.

She decided to sit in a corner and people watch. Rick was showing too much interest in a blond woman, her husband was smiling at Rick at the moment but every time he turned his back the smile would slip from his face. She watched Rick, he wasn’t fooled, once again a chill went through her spine at she took in their leader. Rick was a scary human being sometimes.

She decided she’d had enough of this party and slipped out, only to be stopped halfway to her home by that man that had been bothering her for the last couple of days. What was his name again, Bob, Bill, she couldn’t remember.

  


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Daryl scarfed down the spaghetti, he wanted to get back to the house before Em.

“Thanks.” He told them as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve, before remembering there was a napkin sitting on the table in front of him.

Eric started prattling on about some lady and a pasta maker. Daryl looked at the man in confusion, he kept mentioning his travels and saying things like “When you’re out there.” And “If you come across” this or that. He glanced at Aaron and saw him give his boyfriend a “Shut up” kind of look.

“I thought it was done.” Eric said sheepishly. “You haven’t asked him?” Aaron shook his head.

“Ask me what?” Daryl looked back and forth between both men, “They’re gonna ask if you wanna be the meat in their fairy sandwich.” Merle’s booming laughter filled his head, almost keeping him from hearing Aaron ask him to see something in the garage. Daryl followed cautiously.

It was a bike, Aaron was giving him a bike and asking him to be his partner. Daryl tried to be angry, after all Aaron was saying he didn’t want Eric to risk his life but he was more than willing to let Daryl risk his. Aaron answered his comment without any bullshit, he was straight forward and Daryl appreciated that, he had to admit that while Aaron was asking him to do dangerous work, it was work that Aaron himself was doing. It felt good to know that Aaron believed in him enough to partner up with him, to put his life in Daryl’s hands, and Eric too. Eric must have agreed, he was willing to trust Aaron to Daryl and that meant a lot.

“Alright, ain’t got nothin’ else to do.” He agreed. “I’ll bring you some rabbits.” He offered, hell these guys were alright.

He felt better as he left the house, he wouldn’t have to be caged up in here with all these judgmental people. He was surprised Deanne agreed to give him this job, but maybe she was happy to have him on the outside more often. He was about to head back to the house when he heard Em’s voice.

“No, I want to go home.” She sounded annoyed and a little scared.

“Come on, it’s a party for you guys.” Daryl saw that man that had been sniffing around Em pull on her arm. Em pulled away and he stomped up to them.

“She said No!” He pulled Em away from the man.

“Just trying to be friendly.” The guy lifted up his hands in surrender and backed away.

“Stay the fuck away from her.” He stepped forward, fighting the urge to punch the bastard’s smug face.

“Fine, whatever man.” The guy turned and walked away. Em pulled her arm from his, and stepped back.

“Look, Em.” He stepped toward her, flinching inside at the way she took another step back. “We need to talk. I owe you an apology.” He bit his thumb.

Em tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him, he looked down nervously and that’s when he saw her outfit. She looked stunning.

“Ok,” she finally answered softly. “Apologize then.”

Daryl held out his hand, praying to God she would take it. She did, and he led her down the street. He bit his lip, would wonders never cease, here he was Daryl Dixon walking down the street of a fancy schmancy neighborhood with a beautiful girl. “Take it and run, Darylina, life don’t hand us sort, thing’s like this often.” _Oh I am._ He gave Em a sideways glance, he’d been with some pretty women before, but they were only looking for a quick good time. Em was different, not only was she pretty on the outside something he’d noticed more and more lately, she was pretty on the inside, she was giving him a chance, he wasn’t dumb enough to think everything was roses between them but she was willing to hear him out. He stopped them in a secluded spot, he had to make this good.

“You look pretty.” He mumbled, _women liked to hear that right?_ He looked down as he said it.

“Thank you.” He glanced up at her voice to find her looking at the ground, her cheeks flushed prettily. He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. “Now or never boy.” Merle told him testily. He guessed his brother wasn’t too keen on apologizing, but even he saw the sense in it.

“My daddy use ta hit my Mama.” He finally started, hurrying his words to get it over with. “I ain’t never wanted ta be like him. I’msorry.” He kept his eyes firmly on the ground.

“Daryl.”

“umm” he didn’t look up at her.

“Daryl,” she said again. He relented, glancing up quickly before looking down again. She didn’t look that angry. She sighed loudly.

“I know you didn’t mean it, you didn’t turn to see who’d touched you. It’s just, if you don’t want me around so much you could have just told me, instead of just being mean.”

“I suck at this shit Em.” He finally looked her in the eye. “I ain’t wantin’ ya to leave. I’m just a dick sometimes. Glad you called me out on it.” He smiled at her a bit.

She didn’t say anything for a while, studying him intently. He bit his lip as he waited, maybe he’d fucked it up for good.

“Ok.” She nodded. “Just be honest with me, if I’m over-stepping just tell me, don’t start yelling at me for no reason or accusing me of being a home wrecker. I never lied to you about myself, or anything else.”

“I know.” He nodded. “I just didn’t like…” he gestured back toward Deanne’s house. It took Em a little while but she got it, he didn’t like her talking to that guy. She refused to read too much into it.

“That guy gives me the creeps.” She settled on saying.

“You just let me know if he’s botherin’ you Em.” Daryl’s look at the moment rivaled Rick at his worst. She nodded nervously. He grabbed her hand again, surprising her, that was twice in one hour that he initiated contact with her. Maybe it really had all been a misunderstanding.

“You look good Em,” he said nervously fidgeting. “Men are gonna notice.” She fidgeted back.

“I don’t want them to notice.” She muttered.

“None of them?” he asked nervously.

Em looked up at him, then looked away, remembering how the first thing she wanted when she put on the dress was for Daryl to see her in it.

Daryl saw her eyes flit away nervously, she did want someone to notice. He swallowed hard, should he hope it was him? “Just fuckin’ do it you pansy.” Merle shouted exasperated. His brother’s voice was so strong and forceful that he obeyed without thinking.

She was so lost in her memory of getting dressed earlier that she didn’t see Daryl move toward her, one second she was staring off into the night and the next, his lips were on hers. It wasn’t the same kind of kiss as before, he didn’t pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and she felt her own encircle his neck just as quickly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl the smooth operator?

Em enjoyed the feel of Daryl’s arms around her, completely lost in the moment until his lips parted and she felt his tongue slip into her mouth. She jerked out of his arms in surprise and instantly regretted the action. It wasn’t as If she didn’t know that sometimes tongues were involved in kissing, she even knew a thing or two about sex, thanks to her extensive library. She’d just never expected someone to want to do those things with a frumpy girl like her, especially someone as handsome as Daryl.

She felt herself go red at her silly response. Daryl was also flushed but it had nothing to do with embarrassment, he shifted a little. It had been a long time since he’d been this turned on by a woman, there had always been so many other things to worry about, he must feel a whole lot safer behind these walls than he’d thought. “We would have definitely been friends.” Beth giggled. He couldn’t help but smile, Beth was back, she’d forgiven him for what he did to Em and she approved, she approved of whatever this was, he hadn’t known until now how much he’d feared she wouldn’t.

“I..I’m sorry,” Em stuttered. “I was just surprised, is all.”

Daryl held his hand up, stopping her apology. “It’s alrigh’ Em, I ain’t tryin’ to push you. I ain’t that kind of guy.” He tried to sooth her discomfort. He hadn’t thought about it but he should have known she might be nervous about some of this, hell he was pretty fucking nervous now that the initial lust was wearing off.

“Oh!” Em’s eyes widened. “I know that, I know you’re not like your father.” She brought her hand to her mouth. “Oh God! I can’t believe I just said that. I’m so sorry Daryl.”

Daryl bit his lip, a surge of anger rushed through him but before he could open his mouth to tell her God knows what, he looked into her eyes. She looked mortified.

“He was a bastard, ain’t like I’m gonna defend him.” He said, not completely successful in keeping some of the anger out of his voice.

“No,” she brought her hands to her eyes, hiding her face from him. “ I shouldn’t have said that, I just meant,” she was muttering into her palms.

“I know what you meant.” He didn’t feel anger anymore, she looked like she wanted to melt into the floor, and for the first time in his life, Daryl was the cool one, Em had taken his king of awkward crown and run with it.

“I’m so stupid,” she was muttering, still hiding behind her hands. “I ruined everything.”

Daryl grabbed her wrists gently, trying to pull them from her face. Em fought him, so he tugged harder, finally exposing her tear stained eyes, then her watery cheeks.

“It ain’t ruined.” He tried to catch her eye, she stubbornly avoided looking at him. A confidence he’d never felt before urged him on and he leaned down to kiss her lips again. She blinked up at him miserably, he connected with her soft mouth, keeping the kiss as chaste as possible. She kissed him back just as gently. He pulled away and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

“It ain’t ruined.” He said again. “We just go slow. To tell ya tha truth Em, I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout this neither.”

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.” Her voice was muffled against his chest.

“I ain’t lying.”

“Please,” she pulled away wiping the tears from her cheeks, “You probably had lots of girlfriends.” Daryl laughed a little,

“Ain’t never had a damn girlfriend, never wanted one.”

“Oh geez, I wasn’t saying I was your girlfriend. I just meant, you knew what you were doing.” She bit her lip.

Daryl scratched the back of his head, what did he want from this girl. “Sex,” Merle answered. “If that’s it, then leave her alone, Daryl.” Beth’s voice was stern. _Naw, that ain’t it. She ain’t one of those_. “I knew it,” Merle sniffed. “But you wanna fuck her too, try not to be a wimp about it Darylina.”

“I don’t know shit about girlfriends Em, but I ain’t lookin’ anywhere else and if that fucker or any of those fuckers touches you again, I’ma break their damn neck.” Em looked at him and started giggling, then she started laughing, then she started laughing so hard she wasn’t making any noise, her body shaking uncontrollably.

“What the hell,” Daryl asked confused.

“I’m sorry,” she finally gasped. “It’s just, this has to be a dream. This can’t be happening to me, not with someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” he asked offended.

“You’re way out of my league. Why would you want someone like me, who doesn’t know anything.” She shook her head, “It’s a dream.”

“What the fuck? You think I’m too good for you?” Daryl looked at the girl before him, she was beautiful, and kind, and before the world went to hell she would have been scared shitless of him. “Finally a woman who knows what a Dixon man’s worth.” He could see Merle grinning clear as day in his mind. He shook his head, exasperated with the situation.

“Meryl.” She stopped laughing at his use of her full name. “Who gives a fuck what we should or shouldn’t do. You want me to stop?” She shook her head swiftly.

“Then stop.” He snapped. “just, you know…” he trailed off.

“Go with it.” She finished for him.

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it before answering. “Yeah, go with it. Trust me, I don’t know shit. Girls have always been…..” he looked away. “It was never more than a night.” He glanced at her quickly. “I ain’t thinking that for you.” He added.

Em took a deep breath and stepped up to him. “So we learn together, then.” He nodded.

 

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

That night he moved so he could sleep next to her. He was grateful that she didn’t act any different with everyone else around. It wasn’t that he was trying to hide her and him but he just wasn’t the type to parade his business in front of everybody. Rick was the only one that seemed to notice a change between him and Em. The leader watched Daryl move his bed over to where Em was laying with a smile on his face. He caught Rick’s eye and the other man gave him a quick nod before turning his attention to feeding Judith. Daryl laid down next to Em, she smiled at him shyly and closed her eyes. He shifted a little, letting his thigh lean against hers.

He brought his hands behind his head and smiled a little, he had an important job, a reason to come back to Alexandria, in one day things had turned themselves around for him. He was willing to give this place a real shot. “Don’t get too comfortable baby brother, you got a shit load more to lose.” Daryl opened his eyes. _Beth_ he shut his mind down, stopping the image of Beth dying in front of him. “Don’t Daryl _.” I can’t do it again_ “You can’t keep yourself from happiness for fear of losing it. That’s what you can’t do. Live Daryl! We want you to live!” He tried to steady his breath. “Yes, Daryl take life and get what you can outta tha bitch.” Merle agreed. “Just….ya know…be careful.” His brother mumbled the last bit. Daryl smirked, even dead Merle was still being a hardass. “I am a Badass bro, and you are too, you’re a fuckin’ Dixon. Keep your damn eyes open and don’t get soft.” Daryl closed his eyes, it was a tight rope walk, letting Em and this community in and still keeping sharp but he’d walked the edge all his life and this time the results would be much more rewarding, instead of just avoiding a beating or a stint in jail, he would be getting Em and a home. _Thanks Beth, Thanks Merle_ “Ugh, shut up! You pussy.” He grinned at Merle’s response. His last thought as he drifted off to sleep was that he’d turn down the gun tomorrow, he had his crossbow, and he’d keep Em close, maybe he’d even teach her about motorcycles, she was a fast learner.


	16. Chapter 16

Em was awoken by a loud crash. She jerked awake blinking and looking around wildly. It took her a while to remember that they had their own room now. Rick had decided that communal sleeping in the living room was no longer necessary. She blushed a little at the memory of Rick waking them up and leading them to this room together.

“Oh you’re up. Come on, got somthin’ ta show ya.” Daryl was picking up his crossbow from the dresser he’d apparently just slammed it on.

Em rubbed her eyes, “What time is it?” Daryl grabbed her hand yanking her to her feet.

“Come on.” He was dragging her out of the room before he realized she hadn’t put her boots on. Em sat on the bed and yawned, sleeping with Daryl had allowed her to really relax and she wasn’t in the mood to get up yet. Daryl was shifting from foot to foot so she tried to hurry as best she could.

“Em!” he snapped at her when she fell asleep halfway through putting on her last shoe.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Hurry! Will ya.” He grumbled at her.

“Fine!” she snapped back, getting up from the bed only to be dragged down the stairs and out the front door.

They passed Deanne talking to one of the neighbors, she gave them a strange look that Daryl missed, because he was so intent on his destination. Em sighed inwardly, now it looked as if Daryl was yanking her around town…..well, he kinda was but still. She frowned.

Daryl stopped in front of a house a few doors down, dragged her up the steps and banged on the door. Em rubbed her eyes again, Daryl banged on the door a second time.

“Daryl! These people are probably asleep.” She scolded, “like we should be.” She mumbled the last part.

“No, we gotta get started.” He lifted his hand to bang again when a grumpy looking Aaron answered the door.

“Daryl?”

“I’m here for the bike.”

Aaron blinked at Daryl sleepily then turned to look at Em, she blinked back at him.

“The bike, I gotta get started. Em’s gonna learn.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah OK.” Aaron yawned and Em followed soon after with a big yawn of her own.

“Maybe we shoulda got coffee.” Daryl frowned at her.

“I’ll make some.” Aaron offered and waved them in.

“Sorry,” Em mouthed as they walked in, Aaron smiled at her.

“You know the way Daryl, I’ll give you the key to the garage, so you can go in and out whenever you need to.”

Em gave a small laugh, smart man. Daryl dragged her through the house and into the garage where he ripped the tarp off an object with a bit of a flourish.

Underneath the tarp was a part of a motorcycle, Daryl grinned at her and she couldn’t help but smile.

“You got a bike.”

“Aaron gave it to me, I’m goin’ to scout for new people with him. That’s my job.” He was staring at the bike.

Em felt the smile slip from her face, “You’re going back out there?”

 

Daryl had been studying the bike, mentally tallying up all the things that needed to be done. “Yeah, as soon as I get this bike fixed up.” Em slipped her hand out of his.

“Why?”

“Your comin’ too, I need to tell Aaron.”

“Not a good idea.” Aaron walked up to them holding out the cups of coffee. Em swallowed the lump in her throat and accepted the steaming mug.

“Why the hell not?” Daryl snapped, ignoring the offered drink.

“What we do it’s dangerous. There’s only two of us and…..well…she’s a woman. I may not be as battle hardened as some of you but I heard things that would make your skin crawl. I approached you guys but you aren’t the first group I’ve come across. I passed on a lot of sickos.”

Daryl turned to look at Em, “No, she was out there on her own for over a year, she traveled with us, she can hang.” He left out the part of her hiding in her house for that year.

“There were more of you, if there was trouble..”

“No, I told Merle and Beth I wasn’t going to leave her again.” Daryl interrupted him, his eyes widened a second later as he realized what he’d just said. Em grabbed his hand and turned him to look at her.

“When?”

“After you got attacked.” He said so softly, she could barely hear.

“Merle and Beth?” Aaron asked.

“We lost them.” Em said covering Daryl’s mistake. He gave her a grateful look.

“Sorry,” Aaron apologized, “I still think she’d be safer here.”

Em looked at Daryl, he had his back to Aaron and he squeezed his eyes shut. Em could tell something was going on in his head. If he got stressed out there alone with Aaron it wouldn’t be long before Daryl’s secret was out.

“Can we have a moment Aaron?” She smiled at their host.

“Sure,” he set Daryl’s coffee down on the work table. Em waited till he was gone to kiss Daryl. He immediately brought his arms around her. The kiss was desperate, unlike all the hesitant kisses they’d shared the night before. She pulled away gently after a few seconds.

“Daryl I understand why you need to leave here once and a while, I won’t lie I don’t want to part with you ever, but this is dangerous.”

“You don’t think I can protect you?”

“I do, but you aren’t invincible. I will go out with you. I think I should, but I need to be trained first. I know you’ve taught me a lot, but I need more fighting and shooting training.” She anticipated his argument. “I can’t rely solely on you it isn’t fair.”

“I can’t teach ya and build the bike in a few days.” His hands slipped up to her upper arms and he gripped her tighter.

“No, the first scouting mission, you’d have to go without me.”

_Go without her!_ He looked into Em’s eyes, at least she looked as miserable as he felt, not that that made him feel better. “You gonna leave her with these dumbasses?” Merle sounded incredulous.

“You need to be careful around Aaron this time.” She told him gently. He nodded, knowing she meant the voices.

“If only they knew when to talk…..and when to SHUT UP!” he unintentionally squeezed her tighter as he yelled. Em winced at his grip.

“Am I interrupting?” Deanne’s voice shook Daryl out of his inner battle.

_Fuck!_ he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Yes.” Em snapped at the older woman, Daryl opened his eyes to find Em glaring over his shoulder. He laughed and let Em go, stepping away.

“Sorry,” Deanne stepped further into the garage, clearly not that sorry. “I hear you want to add a third party to the scouting trip. You know we won’t let anything happen to Em here.”

He looked at Em and she crossed her arms letting him know he would have to handle this one. “I don’t leave Em. Once she’s trained she’s coming with us.” He finally turned to face their questioner.

“I’ll agree to that.” Deanne surprised them by saying. “I guess I have to find a new seamstress.”

“It won’t be for a while, I’ll continue to do the job you gave me while Daryl trains me more.”

“Well, that’s good, I have another basket, could you come get it with me, then I’ll leave the two of you to your project.”

Em looked at Daryl, “OK.” She gave him a small smile.

“Fine,” Daryl spat out. “Come back here when you’re done. I want to show you how to do this.” He barked. Em nodded, he was being a grouch but she knew it wasn’t really aimed at her. She squeezed his arm and followed Deanne.

The woman led her to a bench by a small stream and sat down. Em sat next to her.

“He doesn’t abuse me.”

“Did I say he did?” Deanne asked.

“He said that’s what you think and I believe him. Daryl’s good at reading people.”

Deanne nodded, “I admit, it crossed my mind. You two have a strange……relationship?”

Em didn’t know how to answer that so she looked off in the distance, this was a pretty spot, she’d show it to Daryl.

“So?”

Em looked back at the woman, “So, what?” she asked confused.

“You two, you’re in a relationship, he’s your boyfriend, I know he isn’t your husband.”

She shrugged, “We are whatever we are, he’s my friend that’s what’s important.”

“A friend you’d risk your life for, rather than be separated.”

“Yes.” Em answered.

Deanne laughed again, “I can see why you two get along. Short and concise.”

“I just don’t understand why our friendship is so interesting to you.”

“At first it was curiosity. Now I want to know the people that will be choosing our future residents. It’s curious how you refuse to be apart, the other couple in your group seems to have no problem.”

“I won’t be choosing, Daryl will. Aaron thinks he can do it and he can. Daryl is smart and he is a survivor.”

“And why is it so difficult to separate? You two find us that untrustworthy?”

Em looked away contemplating how to answer, “People are……” she started again. “I’m uncomfortable around most people, but not Daryl. I can’t speak for him but I think he feels the same way. We prefer to be together.”

“That is strange, a young girl so comfortable with an older man, a man like Daryl.”

“What do you mean a man like Daryl?” Em scowled. “Daryl may not be book smart but he is smart, he’s brave, he’s strong and he took the time to help me when he didn’t have to. This community is lucky to have a man like Daryl. Rick was smart enough to see that and if you’re as smart as you say you are you should see it too.”

Deanne laughed, “Believe it or not I do, I let you two stay and gave Daryl a very important job and now I’m giving that same job to you.” She sighed. “The two of you are in this community now, it wouldn’t hurt to try and be friendly.”

“We can’t change who we are.” Em answered.

“So what will you be doing on these scouting trips?” the older woman changed the subject.

“Whatever needs to be done. Are there really any clothes to be mended?”

“Yes, there are, come on then.” Deanne relented.

 

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

 

 

Daryl was putting his new bike together, smiling to himself at the new holder he’d rigged up for his crossbow. He looked out onto the street and huffed angrily, still no Em in sight.

“Wow, you really know what you’re doing there.” Aaron whistled behind him. “It’s looking good.”

“Umm,” Daryl grunted, his good mood from this morning gone.

“Look I didn’t mean to upset you about your girlfriend. I understand, Eric and I have been partners for a while. There will come a time when you will rather her be safe inside these walls than out there.”

Daryl got up and wiped his hands on his red rag. “I’ve been apart from Em once since we met.” He looked Aaron in the eye. “She was almost bit. Walls don’t make you safe, we’ve had walls, we still got fucked.”

Aaron nodded slightly, his eyes shifting up to look over Daryl’s shoulder. “Hi, Em. Deanne gave you lots of work I see.”

Daryl turned to find Em lugging a basket up the drive way. He strode down to take it from her.

“She hassle you?” he asked her in a low voice.

“It’s fine.” She smiled at him. “She’s just nosy.”

He nodded down at the clothing, “Why’d ya bring this?”

“I figured I could work while you worked.”

“I need ya to learn Em.” He scolded.

“I know you want me to but Daryl….” She looked away.

“What.”

“I’m kinda terrible with anything mechanical. I had a hard time with the VCR.” She bit her lip.

Daryl snorted, “VCR?”

“Hey.” She scowled at him. “For my grandparents that was enough. We messed up a lot of tapes between the three of us.” She laughed a little and looked off lost in a memory.

Daryl watched her small sad smile. “Double edged sword, those happy memories little brother.” Merle almost whispered. “True, but I wouldn’t trade mine for the world, especially not my last one.” Beth whispered back. Daryl bit his thumb unsure of whether to interrupt her thoughts or not. Aaron had no problems butting in.

“Eric suffers from the same malady. Drives me crazy most times.” He laughed and Em shook her head slightly and laughed too.

“I still think you should try.” Daryl wasn’t willing to let this go so quickly. If something were to happen to him or Aaron and she needed to get away on her own, she need to know as much as she could about the bike. He’d teach her to ride too. He turned to put the basket down and get back to work when another thought hit him like a smack in the head.

“Em do you know how to drive?”

Her immediate blush answered his question. She shook her head.

“Jesus Em.” He rubbed his hands on his face.

“Sorry.” she mumbled. Daryl looked at her and shook his head, she didn’t need to be sorry but sometimes he couldn’t believe how sheltered she was.

“Look just work on the clothes and I’ll do this, I’ll tell ya ‘bout it first and we can move on from there.” He pulled up a chair and kicked her mending basket next to it.

“I can have Eric teach her to drive while we’re gone if you want.” Aaron offered, Daryl noticed that he sounded a little in awe at her ignorance.

“Thanks.” Em fidgeted a little with embarrassment. Daryl nodded at Aaron and got to work, he rattled off information to both Aaron and Em, answering questions, mostly from Em. Aaron lost interest an hour in and went to check on Eric.

“I’m glad your good mood is back.” Em told him. “I didn’t mean to screw it up earlier.”

Daryl laughed at her swearing, he was rubbing off on her.

“Ain’t your fault…..just this one trip, right?” He let out a breath.

“Yeah just one time.” She agreed.

 

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

 

Daryl was in bed with Em, he felt almost normal as he held her in his arms, her head on his chest. He knew she didn’t believe him when he said all this was as new to him as it was to her but he was dead serious. He’d never just lain in bed with a woman, especially one he’d only ever kissed. His body wanted Em, his cock was dying to get between her legs but he wasn’t going to listen to his fuckin’ cock or his dumbass brother. He was going to enjoy every step and second with Em. It was the opposite of every other woman in his life. This was real, he wasn’t just getting off and getting on and she wasn’t just a regular to scratch an itch with, no conversation required. He was going to make all this last as long as he could.

“Em.” He whispered.

“umm,” she murmured into his chest.

“Stay away from that fuck that keeps sniffing around ya.”

“Ok.”

“I’ma tell Rick and Eric. Don’t trust him.”

She looked up at him. “I don’t either.” She looked back down then giggled. “Don’t go making eyes at Aaron.” She said mischievously.

“Shut up.” He laughed kissing the mass of curls on the top of her head. “Very funny.” Merle growled. Beth giggled.

The next day she said bye to him in their bedroom, neither of them ready to show the world their feelings yet.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble is brewing in and out of Alexandria. *spoilers for Season 5 TWD

Em walked slowly through the town, Tara weighing heavily on her mind. She'd overhead Glenn telling Rick what happened on their run. Nick was a monster and Noah paid the ultimate price for it. She'd never gotten close to Noah but he was always pleasant to her and Tara had become almost a friend after sharing a room for a few days.

She spotted Rosita headed towards the house and ran over to see if she had any news on their ailing friend.

"She's stable, that's all we really know " The dark haired woman sighed, "We can't find Sasha either."

Em shook her head, "I haven't seen her." Sasha was one of the few people in the group she had never really talked to.

Rosita nodded, "I'm going to see Michonne. Don't you get lost too." she gave Em a small sad smile.

Em smiled back "I'll be with Eric, he's supposed to teach me to drive."

Rosita gave her a funny look but only nodded. "See you later Em."

"Yeah, bye."

Em watched the other woman walk away, a little jealous of her confident stride. Rosita was a good woman, Em wished they we're closer.

She continued on to Aaron and Eric's house thinking about the group that had adopted her so readily. They seemed to be unraveling, lately on more than one occasion she'd been scared out of her mind by Rick and Carol was acting strange, now Sasha was missing, Glenn was on edge (with very good reason) and Tara was still unconscious. She shook her head realizing she didn't actually know these people. They had her loyalty, after taking her in how could she not be loyal, but she didn't know them and the strange and sometimes frightening things she'd noticed about them might just be how they were, how they'd always been.

They had to be good people, she decided, they could have hurt her or left her to her fate but they hadn't. She knew Daryl had a whole lot to do with that decision but if he had faith in them, then she would too.

She missed Daryl so much and it had only been a day. She couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that had settled in her heart since he left, she took a deep breath, she really had to toughen up, Daryl gave her a job to do and she had to get to it. Em sped up, Daryl would be disappointed if he came back and found out she'd just sat around and pining for him instead of getting prepared to go on the next scouting mission.

 

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Daryl watched the flickering of the campfire in the distance, he was happy to see Aaron on guard, he didn't take anything for granted, the man was smart. "Brother, this don't smell good." Merle's voice drawled in his head. _I know those w's we been finding don't sit right with me neither._ He was suddenly grateful Em was safe behind the walls of Alexandria. ...hopefully. _What if these people show up at their gates? Track them or head home?_ "Decisions, decisions little brother." Merle answered. "She's probably safer right now, so concentrate Daryl." _Easy for you ta say, ain't nothin' happenin' ta you or yours._ Merle scoffed at that "You ain't mine Darylina? Tell you what, that girls better off than you right about now and she's fucked as all hell if you get yourself killed. Pay attention! Hell, Beth n' me will give your pussy ass a break for a bit if we need ta." _Yeah thanks_ Daryl answered sarcastically, but Merle's words had hit a nerve. He got himself on high alert, they needed to find out what was going on, and who those people by the campfire were and he needed to get back to Em in one piece and she needed to be alright when he got there.

She may be safer in Alexandria right now but he wanted her where he could see her, that's where she'd be safest in his opinion. "Darylina and Em sittin' in a tree," Merle's voice was faint as he sing songed his taunt. _Thought you was shutin' up?"_ Daryl settled down to await the dawn with Merle's laugh fading into the sounds of the night.

 

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

Em stared in horror as Rick beat on Peter. They were both covered in blood and her first instinct was to run to Rick and check his wounds. She'd gone so far as to take a step forward when she heard Daryl's voice clear in her head telling her to "Stay the hell back are you fuckin' crazy?" she froze. "Sorry" she muttered then looked around nervously. She was relieved that no one had noticed her talking to herself, she chewed on her thumb. The last thing her and Daryl needed was for both of them to start hearing voices in their head.

She saw Rick push Carl away and clenched her fist, she'd never seen him raise a hand to his son. Then Rick pulled a gun, screaming at the crowd around him, blood dripping off his face, he looked insane. She took a step back searching the crowd for a familiar face and noticed Carol smirking nearby. Suddenly she was glad Daryl wasn't here, he would have been in the middle of this in no time, things were escalating quickly and her stomach clenched with fear, someone had to do something, she had just about made up her mind to try and talk to Rick when Michonne put a violent end to their leaders rant. She let out a relieved breath, it wasn't the way she would have handled it but it got the job done.

Em looked at Eric and shook her head, the other man stared at her wide eyed.

"Think I can stay with you for a bit?" She asked him. "I should stay out of the way as they sort this out." She glanced nervously at Ricks prone body. "I promise not to be any trouble."

"Uh, sure." Eric answered.

Em smiled weakly "I guess our driving lesson is cut short." Eric only nodded.

Em thought about reaching out to Carl but the boy was already walking to Michonne. She was still an outsider in this group, she stayed away.

"Is this...is this typical of Rick?" Eric finally asked her. Em bit her lip, she knew there would be questions after that, how could there not be, but how truthfully should she answer. She looked at Eric, a man that had let her into his home, time and time again and had taken the time to try and teach her how to drive, a man that trusted Daryl with the love of his life. She decided to tell him the truth, deceitfulness wasn't in her nature anyway.

"I don't know." she admitted. "I've only been with them for a few weeks maybe a month or two, haven't kept track."

"But you and Daryl, we thought, Aaron had described you as a couple." Eric gave her a confused look.

"Well, we are. I guess but we didn't ...um...make it official till we came here."

Eric shook his head, "Aaron is hardly ever wrong, he said there were three couples, you and Daryl, Maggie and Glenn and Rosita and Abraham. You did the interview together."

"I really am telling the truth, Eric." Em answered gently. "It's just Daryl and I kinda got attached quickly I guess."

"So you can't tell me anything about Rick?"

"I can tell you he took me into his group, he's always been respectful of me, he loves his people like they were his own blood and he's seen and done terrible things to protect them. He's...intense, but he's a good man. Daryl believes it and so do I. You want Rick on your side but it's only fair to take the good with the bad and the pressure that man puts on himself to keep those around him safe is enough to make anyone lose their mind. In the end he was defending that woman and trying to get you guys to see a reality he's been facing for a long long time." Em finished her speech realizing that she was not only answering Eric's concerns but her own. She would stick with Rick 100%

"Well," Eric let out a shaky laugh, "If anyone ever had questions about me, I hope your defending me."

Em smiled and nudged her new friend gently with her elbow. "I will be."

 

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

Daryl approached the campsite they'd spotted last night slowly, Aaron right at his heels. He studied the ground.

"Whoever did this, they took the rest." He walked around what was left of a human being. Arms and legs strewn around the campsite, fresh blood on the ground, "This just happened."

He continued on seeing another body strapped to a tree.

"She's tied up and they fed on her." Aaron observed. Daryl was filled with relief that Em wasn't around to see this and to be so close to this danger. The body was of a woman and she was naked. He could guess what had happened to her before she was tied up. He took in her disemboweled form.

"How the hell did this happen?" Aaron asked nervously behind him. Daryl didn't bother answering, he lifted the unfortunate woman's head. _There it is Merle a W_ he watched as the woman reanimated, blue eyes clouded over and blond hair, another blue eyed blond, seemed this world chewed them up and spit them out. "Hush Daryl." Beth answered him softly. "Keep your eyes open boy." His brother barked out. "They're close."

Daryl put an end to the woman's suffering. Trouble was coming and he had no doubt Alexandria would suffer for it. He needed to decide what best to do, run back to town and warn them, or follow and get as much info as he could, maybe take out the threat. He glanced at Aaron, just the two of them, he didn't think they could accomplish much if this group of sickos was large. "One hell of a decision Daryl." Merle agreed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All hell breaks loose "Season 5 finale spoilers

Daryl followed the tracks quickly, just when he’d made a decision things got even more complicated. There was someone else out here, someone that might end up butchered if they ran into the crazy ass murderers that were running around these woods. They’d planned on gathering info on the wackos and heading back home but they couldn’t in good conscious leave someone out here. If the guy was halfway decent they had to take him back to Alexandria.

He finally found him in a field, the guy was wearing a damn bright red poncho. “Fucking dumbass, at least he knows how to keep the mosquitoes away.” Merle snorted.

“What’s he doing?” Aaron asked

“Wild leeks, son of a bitch knows about how ta keep mosquitoes off of ‘em.” Daryl answered. “Come on.”

 

MDMDMDMMDMDMDMDMD

 

They’d lost him _fuck_ “Damn brother, ya losin’ yer touch.” _I’ll find him, fuck you._ Daryl searched for any sign of the man in the red poncho and came up with nothing, but they found a factory of some sort, can foods it looked like.

Aaron wanted to give up the chase and gather as much food as they were able, Daryl wanted to keep looking. Beth shifted nervously in his head “But that poor man, he’s out there with those people…alone.” She worried. “Can’t save everyone Blue Eyes, Daryl’s out here with those fuckin’ sickos too.” Merle answered Beth for him.

Aaron was adamant, this was an opportunity that didn’t come around very much, so Daryl gave in. If he was honest it wasn’t so much Aaron’s argument as the fact that, he missed Em and was worried, he wanted to get back to her, still, it didn’t sit well in his stomach.

He should have listened to his gut, it was a trap. The whole place had been one big booby trap and as soon as they opened up one of the food trucks a horde of geeks was unleashed upon them. It was a miracle that they managed to get into an abandoned old car, especially with Merle whooping and hollering in head. The fight really worked him up.

Daryl looked around at all the faces of the dead, snarling biting just waiting to take a chunk out him and Aaron and laughed.

“What?” Aaron asked.

“I just had ta get outta there, ya know. To not feel so closed up, and even now,” he looked out at the walkers, “this still feels more like me.”

“You tried.” Aaron answered.

“I had ta.” He searched his pockets for a cigarette.

“No you didn’t.” Aaron gave him a small smile.

“I did,” he lit his smoke and looked at Aaron. “Em.” He shrugged.

As soon as he said it, he realized something. He was never going to belong in Alexandria and he would drag Em down with him.

“I’m gonna go out clear a path for you, you make a run for it.” He took a deep drag and blew out a cloud of smoke. “What the hell are ya thinkin’ Daryl!” Merle yelled in his head.

“No,” Aaron answered.

“It wasn’t a question, it ain’t up for negotiation.” Daryl answered him, ignoring Merle.

“You can’t do that, think of Em, what if…” Aaron didn’t need to finish the thought.

“If thangs go south, she’d be fine, better maybe. She could do better’n me in a heartbeat, and I know you’d keep a eye on ‘er.”

He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb and took another puff of his cigarette. “NO, no, no, no, no Daryl.” Beth sounded almost as if she was sobbing. “Not after everything. You can’t give up.” She sniffed. “I thought you was the smart Dixon, Darylina. You willin’ to give up one of the only good things that ever happened ya. You gonna hand her ova to some other fuck?” Merle snarled. _She could do better, I ain’t ever gonna fit in to that place or any place._ “That’s some faggy bull shit Daryl, you been hanging around this fairy way too fuckin’ long and now you gone all emo or some shit. Man up and take what yours, she gave herself to you and you better get while the gettin’s good and keep it as long as you can boy.” “Women don’t want what you think they want Daryl.” Beth’s soft voice a sharp contrast to Merle’s angry desperate one. “I guarantee the only thing important to Em is that you love her and nobody can love her like you Daryl. She will be safe with you, walk away and the next man may not know how special she is.” That hit home to Daryl, he’d been so sure she could do better. What if she did worse?

Aaron turned away from the window he’d been staring out of and looked back at Daryl. Daryl met his eyes.

“No,” Aaron said again. “We do this together and whatever happens, happens to both of us, together.”

Daryl studied him for a bit, then nodded. “Hot damn!” Merle whooped. “I knew I liked twinkle toes.”

“On three.” Daryl gave a small smile. _We’re gonna make it back and we’re gonna get while the gettin’s good._ Beth laughed “Yes!”

Aaron nodded “One,” They lifted their weapons in anticipation. “Two,” they put their hands on the door handle.

“Th…” a walkers head popped open right by Aaron’s window. They looked at each other for a split second before taking advantage of the help. As they fought their way through. Daryl spotted the man that helped them, he fought hard by their side and they made it out of the gate quickly.

Daryl looked over their savior. Aaron was gushing praise, he introduced himself and Daryl. Daryl wasn’t as trusting, he couldn’t be, not just yet.

“Why?” he asked the strange new man.

The new guy, Morgan, if he was telling the truth about his name, gave him a wide smile that still managed to look a bit sad.

“Because all life is precious Daryl.”

It was Aaron’s turn to grin. He invited the man to Alexandria with nothing more than a glance in Daryl’s direction. Daryl looked back and forth between the two men and he was surprised to see Morgan shake his head no.

“I’m on my way somewhere but I’m lost. If you could show me where I am on the map, I would appreciate it.” He held out the paper to Daryl. Daryl took it from him, his eyes widening slightly at the note **The world needs Rick Grimes** “Holy shit brother! Ya thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” _Morgan? The Morgan? Rick’s friend, he’s lookin’ for Rick ain’t he?_ “Think so little brother, if this is him he’s a smart mother fucker, I’d keep him.”

Daryl handed the map back to Morgan.

“You lookin’ for Rick?”

Aaron scrunched his brow in confusion. Morgan tilted his head.

“Maybe. You happen to know a Rick?”

Daryl nodded, “How’d you meet him?” he was almost sure, but he wasn’t about to take chances.

“Found him walking down the street in a hospital robe. My son…” here Morgan swallowed hard, holding back his emotions. “My son,” he started again, his voice a little shaky “hit him over the head with a shovel.” He laughed a little, “Thought he was a walker.”

Daryl nodded, he looked at Aaron, “Ricks with us, if you’re lookin’ ta find him, we’ll take ya.” Aaron smiled his approval and Daryl turned back to face Morgan.

The man stared at Daryl for a moment in shock, then his face broke out into a grin. “Thought it was a fantasy, never thought I’d really find him, but I needed something ta do, ya know? He’s there, with Carl?”

Daryl smiled a bit, “Yeah man Carl’s there too.”

“Michonne?” Morgan asked hopefully.

“Ain’t nothin’ killin’ Michonne.” Daryl snorted. Morgan laughed then and looked up at the sky.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Aaron interrupted. “Let’s go home.”

 

 DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

 

Everything had gone wrong, horribly terribly wrong at least as far as Em was concerned. She looked on in horror as Pete murdered Reg, Deanne sobbing uncontrollably. Then to make matters worse, she told Rick to “Do it” just like that “Do it” like taking a life was that simple, and to Rick it was.

She watched the man she’d followed for the last few months lift his arm and shot, without a moment’s hesitation. Her stomach churned, she stepped away, moving backward in fear, not only of Rick but of the other members of her group, they all looked on calmly, no horror on any of their faces, concern, yes, sadness, yes, but not horror. She was trembling, she didn’t know these people, the Rick she had been concerned over, who had given so much to keep his group alive, seemed to have vanished and in his place was a psychotic killer.

“Rick?” a soft questioning voice asked, she didn’t look up until she felt eyes on her, dragging her attention away from the horrific scene in front of her.

She saw a man looking at Rick in shock and next to him was Daryl, lowering his crossbow, _Daryl was here!_ She felt relief flood her body so quickly her muscles almost turned into jelly. She managed to keep herself upright as she locked eyes with the only person she trusted completely in this world. Daryl beckoned her with his hand, she looked down at the bodies and Rick between them, wringing her hands nervously. She was dying to run into his arms, but she was scared of passing Rick, she was scared of him noticing her. She brought her terrified eyes back to Daryl’s.

 

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

 

Daryl ran towards the sound of the gunshot, crossbow at the ready, Morgan and Aaron right behind him. His heart thumped in his chest, that gunshot could mean any number of things, most of them not good. “Be ready bro, this could be it, Officer friendly could be takin’ it.” Merle’s voice rang in his ears. “Em’S a weak link, if you still want her you're gonna have to protect her, she’d be one a the first hostages I’d take if I was an Alexandrian.” His brother was strategizing already. _FUCK FUCK FUCK_ Daryl thought in panic, if anyone laid of finger on Em all bets were off, fuck Rick and Carol’s planning. “Holy shit! Never thought I’d hear that comin’ from ya.” _Fuck you! Didn’t wait for the go ahead when I killed Dawn did I!_ he barked at his brother. “Don’t know, wasn’t there.” His brother sniffed. _Wasn’t there?_ Daryl shook his head, he couldn’t deal with that little puzzle right now.

They turned the corner and froze, there wasn’t any fighting, everyone was standing around, Rick lowered his arm, smoke still coming from the gun he’d just shot. Daryl took in the scene quickly, two dead bodies, neither from his group, Deanne holding one and crying, Abe getting off the other one, clearly he’d been pinning him down, Rick shot a man that wasn’t an immediate threat, that had to mean body number two had killed body number one, but why was Rick all covered in blood, then he saw it a walker thrown off to the side. “Fuckin’ biters got in bro, these people are dumb as all hell.” Daryl ignored his brother and searched the crowd for Em, he finally found her, she was detached from the group, her hand to her mouth, eyes wide with terror, as Morgan called out to Rick, he willed her to look up at him and almost instantly she did.

Em looked ready to bolt, she was clearly very frightened and even though Daryl was pretty sure a fight wasn’t about to break out he wanted her by his side, just to be safe. He motioned for her to come to him, her body jerked forward but her eyes went straight to the dead bodies, then Rick and she froze, looking back at him wide eyed as she twisted her hands together nervously.

Daryl got it, she wasn’t just scared of the dead bodies, she was scared of Rick. She watched her eyes move over the crowd, especially his group and another realization hit him hard, she was terrified of all of them. Em’s eyes came back to his “No Daryl she isn’t scared of you.” Beth corrected, and she was right, Em clearly wanted to come to him, her eyes held a pleading look, but the fear of the group was controlling her. So Daryl went to her.

 

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

 

Daryl was coming to her and Em almost went into hysterics with relief, as soon as he was close enough she threw herself into his arms, not caring who saw or if Daryl was uncomfortable, she needed to feel his arms around her and know she was safe.

If Daryl minded, he didn’t show it, in fact, he hugged her tightly and murmured in her ear.

“It’s ok Em, your ok.”

She shook her head no, into his chest.

“Yes, you are.” He told her firmly, “look at me Em.”

She took a deep breath and looked up, Daryl wiped a tear from under her eye, then did something she wasn’t sure he’d ever do in public, he kissed her, not just any kiss, but a soul sucking passionate kiss she hadn’t known either of them was capable of.

 

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

 

The kiss was meant to be chaste and comforting but the kiss got away from Daryl quickly. He had held her because he knew she needed it, hell, he needed it, then he felt how badly her body was trembling, he asked her to look at him and found tears streaming down her face and so he kissed her, forgetting all the people around them, forgetting that some serious shit was probably still going down, he forgot everything but the woman in front of him.

The Kiss took on a life of its own, every worry, every relief, every word his stupid brain couldn’t come up with to tell her got poured into The Kiss. The Kiss told her he loved her, he’d been worried about her, he missed her, The Kiss asked questions, do you love me? Were you worried? Did you miss me? Are you OK? and Em answered Yes, Yes, Yes and No and she kissed him back with the same intensity, her small hands gripping his shirt for dear life, even as his arms encircled her small frame. It wasn’t until they heard a shuffling and yelling that he realized he had her pressed up against the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got one more chapter planned so that Daryl can explain some things to Em (She hasn't seen much of anything so don't judge her too harshly). I'm leaning toward pausing this story till Season 6 starts so I don't go too off track but definitely one more chapter in the works.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this was suppose to be one last chapter till season 6 but it seriously got away from me, so there is one last chapter after this one. And this time I mean it :-)

Em was pacing back and forth in her room. Daryl had rushed her past Rick and the rest of the crowd and brought her to their home, deposited her in their room and told her to stay, he’d be right back. So here she was, pacing and waiting, waiting and pacing.

It was taking too long, she walked over to the window trying to get a look at something, anything that would tell her what was going on. She caught a glimpse of someone walking up the steps to the house, she gripped the knife Daryl left her with and prayed it was Daryl.

“Em?” Daryl looked around the room, his heart jumping to his throat when he thought she wasn’t where he left her.

“Daryl, thank God it’s you.” Em stepped out of the closet. “I was so scared it was…someone else.” she finished lamely.

Daryl finally got to take a real good look at her. She looked fine physically, she wasn’t hurt, she was clean and healthy looking, nothing had happened to her body while he was gone but her eyes were wild, shifting between him and the door almost as if she expected someone to attack them at any moment.

“Em sit down, what the hell is goin’ on?” he pulled her down next to him on the bed but she popped right back up and started pacing in front of him.

“Rick is crazy, did you know he’s crazy and everyone else,” she shook her head, not looking at him, “they don’t seem surprised and some of them seem to like all the horrible things he’s doing and he killed someone, a person, a living person.” She finally stopped moving and stared at him wide eyed. “He killed a man that was pinned to the ground…just like that,” she snapped her fingers, “like he was turning off the TV.”

Daryl let her rant, “I’m outta here brother. I don’t do hysterical females.” Merle receded into the dark corners of his mind. “I’ll help Daryl.” Beth said, “She doesn’t understand, she can’t, she has no idea. I was there once.”

“Daryl,” Em’s voice was shaky. “I don’t want to stay here anymore. He scares me.”

Daryl took a deep breath, “Em, sit. I need to explain some things.”

“I don’t see how you can explain his behavior, or the way Carol smiles at his violence or the way everyone in this group seems to think it’s just fine, killing someone.”

“I can.” He pulled her gently next to him again. “You just need to promise you’ll listen.”

Em took a shaky breath and nodded. “Ok, explain.”

Daryl rubbed his face, Rick had seen her reaction, and he was hurt and angered by it. Daryl could tell that his leader lumped her in with the naive Alexandrians and he was right, but Daryl also knew that Rick considered her a part of their group and respected Daryl's connection to her. Without words his friend had let him know that Em was his to handle. The only problem is how to explain the need for savagery to a woman who never witnessed it or anything close to it even before the whole world went to hell, and even the Alexandrians had more experience with the new world than Em did. He decided to start at the beginning.

“First time I meet Rick I tried to stab him.”

Em scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, but stayed silent. Daryl shook his head, "No," he had to go farther back.

“Em, I told ya ‘bout my father, he was bad, HE was crazy, one day when you’re…when WE are ready, you’ll see how violent he was. I know a bad person when I see ‘em. I was a bad person ‘for all this.”

Em shook her head and opened her mouth to argue. Daryl held up his hand and shook his head back at her.

“Merle an me ran with bad people,” he continued. “I seen people get there asses handed ta ‘em for the stupidest shit. We were bad, we was gonna rob the group when we first joined, didn’t think nothin’ of it.” He looked up at her through his hair, ashamed of what he was, he hadn’t deceived her about his past but he had always been vague.

Em bit her lip and nodded that she understood.

“Rick mighta handcuffed Merle to that roof and I mighta wanted ta stab him for it but he didn’t make the decision ta leave him and he stepped up, went back inta Atlanta with me to save ‘em, Merle was long gone by then but Rick went, he left his family behind ta help me for no good reason.”

“People change.” She said softly, grabbing hold of his hand. Daryl let out a breath, relieved that he hadn’t scared her off.

“They do, in this world they have ta. Rick’s been changin’, he’s had us all on his shoulders for two years, maybe three. Carl almost got raped ya know.”

“What?” Em asked eyes wide with shock.

“His best friend tried ta kill ‘em, his wife died and Carl had ta put his mama down, he built us a community only ta have it destroyed and all of us get separated. Each one of us that dies he takes tha blame onto hisself.”

“When we got separated I told ya I ended up with Beth, then some people took ‘er from me and I was alone, then I met some men, tha kind I woulda been for I met Rick. They had a leader, Joe, he kept tellin’ me how I was one a them.”

“They were after someone and I went along for the ride. They were after Rick, I didn’t know, when we found ‘em, he was with Michonne and Carl.”

“They were going to rape him?” Em breathed out.

Daryl nodded, “When I tried ta defend them they tried ta beat me ta death.”

Em wrapped her arms around him as if she could shield him and he could imagine her doing just that, throwing herself between him and harm “She loves you, you would do the same.” Beth sounded happy but Daryl was scared. _It woulda got her killed_ “She’s strong Daryl, you just need to explain. I learned too late.” _What do I do? How do I stop it?_ “Tell her, don’t hold back explain.”

“Em, there’s more, there’s so much more and you need ta hear it, all of it.” He pulled out of her embrace to look at her. “Are you ready? It ain’t nice.”

“Yes, I need to understand.” Em straightened her shoulders. She wanted to believe in Rick and the group. She didn’t care what Daryl had done or who he’d been, he had her unwavering love and support but she was still afraid of the rest of the group and she didn’t want to be.

 

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

 

Daryl talked, and talked, and talked. Talking was something that he seemed to do a lot with Em. It was fine when he was talking about Merle, reliving good memories but now he was going through the bad all over again and he resented her for it. The only thing that kept him going through reliving Merle’s and Beth’s deaths again was Beth’s soft voice in his ear, reminding him that this pain was worth it, because without this pain he could very well lose Em.

Em listened silently and he thanked God for that, if she had interrupted, asked question after question, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to finish what he had to say.

Finally it was done, finally Beth was buried again and they were on the road walking towards a Gothic looking house full of steeples and a woman that would change everything for him.

He looked up at Em and found her staring out the window a contemplative look on her face.

“That’s it, that all of it Em.”

She nodded without looking at him, “I can’t lie to you, I still don’t understand.” She shook her head and Daryl’s heart lept _I failed_ “Wait.” Beth cautioned him.

“But maybe I can…..sympathize.” she shook her head again. “I don’t know Daryl it’s so much, too much to take in one sitting, all those things, I need to think, I wasn’t there, it doesn’t seem real, it’s like a horror movie.”

“This world is a horror movie....naw....it’s a horror show, movies end, this don’t, it won’t. I’m tellin’ you the truth, those things happened.”

“Of course, I don’t doubt you. You say this happened so it happened but I can’t get my head around it. I just need some time for it to sink in, to think on it, to try and put myself there. I don’t know,” she huffed in exasperation. “I don’t know how to explain my feelings. I just need time.”

Daryl nodded unhappily “How much time Em? What do you wanna do?” he nervously waited for her to make him choose between her and his friends. “She wouldn’t.” was all Beth said.

“Can we just sleep for now, I just want to sleep in your arms.” She asked, her cheeks slightly red.

“Yeah, OK.” Daryl stood up.

“Uh Daryl.”

“Yeah,” he started taking off his vest and shoes, when she didn’t answer he looked up to find her fidgeting again.

“What Em?” he was suddenly very tired. “We’re not leaving this house.” He told her sternly, his patience running out.

“No, but can you not get mad if I lock the door.” She asked nervously.

He got up and locked it for her, “You ain’t in danger, not from Rick.” He got into bed and waited for her.

She got into bed but didn’t curl up next to him like she would have before he left.

“You scared of me too.” He snapped.

“No, but you’re angry.”

He pulled her into his arms and her reaction was instantaneous. As soon as he brought her body flush against his, she gripped his shirt and kissed him with the same intense desperation as the kiss he’d given her just hours before. Daryl froze in shock for a split second before reacting, no woman had ever kissed him like this, Em held on to him like her life depended on it and she had initiated this and kept initiating as she pulled him on top of her.

Daryl gladly went, not so much thinking anymore as reacting. It wasn’t until he felt her shudder underneath him and moan his name that he realized he’d been rubbing himself between her legs. Her panting brought on his own orgasm suddenly and without warning.

“Shit Em.” He breathed out, kissing her neck and jaw. The euphoria of cumming to an actual woman after all this time clouded his mind. He kissed her without restraint, the self-consciousness that usually came after he got off (if he was sober enough to stay awake) was non existent, he worshiped every part of Em he could put his lips on. Em for her part was still panting and holding on tightly.

Finally after what seemed like hours of coming down from there mutual pleasure, Em whispered, “Was that…was it?”

“You came.” Daryl answered propping himself up on his elbows to get a better look at her. She loosened her hold on him a bit.

“Did you too?” she asked.

“Yes.” He tried to read the expression on her face and came up short. “You Ok.”

“I, yes. I’m just, I mean that wasn’t…we didn’t..it wasn’t sex, so what was it?” she laughed at herself a little and Daryl smiled. Em always made him feel like he knew what he was doing, she made him suave. It was how he imagined Merle felt with women.

“Naw it wasn’t sex, it was dry humpin’.” He answered.

“Is sex like that, does it feel like that?”

“Was it bad?” A little of that self-consciousness creeping in. “You made her cum dumbass, course it didn’t feel bad. Shit Daryl, give it ta her for reals.” _Fuck off Merle, I ain’t a dumbass._

“It was good.” She answered smiling. “Can we do it for real?”

Daryl blinked _What the hell?_ “Do it!” Merle answered excitedly. _Not with you watchin’ fucker._ “I never actually go anywhere brother.” He answered.

_Was it time? Should they?_ His mind swam with questions. He wanted to, he’d wanted to for a while now, but wanting to and doing were two different things. He didn’t want to fuck things up and things were crazy, their emotions were crazy. It could be the wrong move.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do they or Don't they

“Daryl? Did I do bad, you don’t want to?” the nervousness in her voice brought his attention back to her and away from the argument with his brother. He rolled off of her.

“Em, why? Why today?” he didn’t want her to rush into this for the wrong reason and have her resent him later, he wanted this for good, for as long as they could.

“Because, I can’t imagine anyone else and we could die Daryl. I never really got that till today, when I saw you and I saw Rick kill that man. I was worried something could happen to you out there and that you might not come back but it wasn’t till now that I realized what that meant. I don’t want it to be anyone else, I don’t want to die without experiencing these things and I don’t want you to die and me giving this to someone else. I can’t and I won’t. You and me, were here now, were alive and I think we both want to and please I want it to be you, all of it, to be you.”

Daryl’s chest tightened “Did she actually say please to you? Like please fuck me?” Merle sounded awe struck. _I think she did, like I’d be doing her a favor, ‘stead of the other way round._ “Well, shit it had better be good then bro.” and just like that his mind went silent.

He swallowed hard and looked at her.

“If you don’t want to…I’m sorry.” She stuttered, she began getting up and that snapped him out of his shock.

“I want to.” He yanked her back down roughly.

“Sorry.” He muttered when she yelped.

“It’s ok.” She laughed nervously.

“I need a little time, Em, to ya know, recover.” He kissed the soft spot under her ear.

“Recover?” she asked as she turned her head to give him better access.

“Men can’t just go back ta back like that.”

“Oh”

Daryl leaned up again and looked at her, he bit the inside of his lip nervously. There were things he could do for her but he’d never tried them, foreplay wasn’t really something he did, unless sloppy two second blow jobs counted. One night stands where usually an in and out kind of thing.

“I can do some stuff for ya while we wait.” He ventured. “I ain’t never done ‘em though, migh’ not be good at it.”

“Really? I thought maybe you knew how to do everything.”

“No.” he felt stupid, so much for being suave, he should have just done it, not like she’d know the difference.

“So we get to do this together, I get to be the first for something?” Em gave him a genuine grin.

He hadn’t thought of it like that, “Yeah. You’re the first girl I eat out.” He laughed at the expression on her face as he said that.

“It sounds ugly but I hear girls love it.” He assured her.

“ok,” she answered her voice shaky. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Naw, you don’t gotta do nothin’.” He answered.

“That’s not fair Daryl, I don’t want to just take, that’s all I ever do is take.” Her voice cracked.

“Em,” his heart dropped, “Are you doin’ this cause you think ya owe me?”

“No! No, I’m so scared Daryl, something could happen and I want to share everything with you but I want it to be even. I want you to be happy too, not just me, you always do everything for me and what do I give back? Nothing.”

Daryl leaned down and kissed her gently. “We can’t do this. I want to, don’t get me wrong, I really want to Em but not cause yer scared, not cause ya think I’m doin’ ya a favor. I ain’t.”

“I messed up again didn’t I.” she looked away avoiding his gaze and for the life of him Daryl couldn’t imagine why this girl thought so much of him.

“Em ya didn’t mess up.” He sat up and adjusted himself, he’d gotten hard again.

“ **I** don’t wanna mess up. You’re a nice girl, you deserve better than this. You ain’t ready.”

Em bit her lip and he knew he was right, “I’m sorry Daryl, I’m just scared, everything is so new and there’s so many horrible things going on. I may not be ready, really ready but I don’t want to wait. I want it to be you, if they were going to rape Carl don’t you think they could rape me.”

“They're dead Em.”

“I know, I know that, but they aren’t the only bad people out there. Isn’t that what you and Rick want me to understand?”

Daryl laid down on his back, _Shit! Shit! Shit! What do I do?_ He expected Beth to answer but it was his brother, “She’s takin’ some power, takin’ control, don’t be a bastard, let her have it. Stop tryin’ to be a fuckin’ hero for once and just fuckin’ be.” He sat up and looked at Em.

He was right, Merle was right. Em’s eyes held fear and nervousness but also a kind of strength he’d come to recognize more and more in her. She’d made a decision and he was lucky enough to be chosen, more than that he was lucky enough to have her love him.

“Just so you know, it ain’t me doin’ you a favor Em. I love you.” He couldn’t believe he got it out, but fuck if anyone deserved to hear it, it was her.

“I love you Daryl!” she nearly sobbed through her grin. She sat up and hugged him.

His body was already ready for her, she touched him and he was all over her, he wasn’t gonna over think it. He pulled at her shirt and she helped him pull it over her head, he brought his lips to hers before she had time to be embarrassed by her nakedness, he kept kissing her as he undid the clasp of her jeans, pulling them down quickly over her hips as soon as they were unbuttoned. She was fucking gorgeous laying there in just a pair of cotton panties and bra.

“Beautiful Em.” He breathed out.

He pulled his shirt over his head, she trusted him, he would trust her. Em’s eyes traveled over him, she unconsciously licked her lips, every nerve in his body was set on fire by that small gesture. Daryl forgot his pants for a second and pressed his body up against hers, never before had he felt a woman’s body pressed up against his naked skin, he leaned up to rip her bra off, annoyed at the small barrier between them. Em’s arms encircled him, her soft breasts pushed up against his chest.

“You’re beautiful Daryl.” She whispered to him.

He couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around that, her thinking that about him, all he knew was she wanted him and he wanted her and there was no way in hell he was waiting anymore, no way he was going to risk losing this with her anymore.

Daryl removed his jeans and her panties in record time, he was positioned at her wet entrance, his lips back on hers in a heated kiss when he remembered, “Em, this is gonna hurt. Don’t know how bad but it hurts.” He spoke through their kisses, his body trembling with the effort of his restraint.

“I know.” Was all she said, she pressed her hips up, giving him permission to continue, so he did.

He began pushing into her, “Daryl.” He froze. “Go slow, I don’t want it to be over so fast.”

“It could hurt more Em.”

“I don’t care, go slow.” Her voice was stern almost demanding.

He laughed, “Yes, ma’am.”

He went slow, it couldn’t have been more perfect, she enveloped him inch by inch, the only time she gasped in pain was when he broke through her barrier.

“You doin’ alright?” he asked between kisses.

“It’s perfect Daryl.” She held him tightly.

He began a slow deep rhythm, kissing every part of her he could reach, her warm body hugging him inside and out. He wasn’t a religious man but he was pretty sure Em was his heaven.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Em couldn’t believe this was actually happening, Daryl was so kind and gentle. The kindness she’d expected but not the gentleness. Daryl had a rough edge to him and she’d mentally prepared for that to transfer over to them having sex but his kisses and caresses were soft.

She felt the tension build up in her body and she groaned in anticipation. Daryl sped up and he held her tighter moaning her name. This climax blew her first out of the water, she felt her body arch into his, she heard herself call out his name in a raspy voice she hardly recognized. Daryl tensed on top of her for a second, and then he was a little rough and a little wild, but that was ok, she understood why.

He shivered and fell down on top of her. It shouldn’t have felt so good to be pinned underneath him, it should have felt like she was smothering but it didn’t, it felt safe and warm. She rubbed his back, gently going over the thick scars that criss crossed his perfect body. She knew what they were, they didn’t need to talk about it. His strength amazed her every time, that he could live through that, when he was young and impressionable and still come out the wonderful person he was, there was no other word for it, Daryl was amazing.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Daryl was laying on top of Em, he had softened but was still firmly lodged inside her, reluctantly he moved to get off her but her arms tightened their hold on him.

“Don’t.” she kissed his chin.

“I ain’t crushin’ ya.” She shook her head and he smiled, laying back on top of her, he shifting just a little to give her more room to breathe. It wasn’t his first time with a woman but it might as well have been, he would always think of her and this night that way.

Seconds later they were both fast asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Episode 1 season 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm super late on this, took me a while to get my groove back on this story but here it is. I won't do episode two since there was no Daryl and hence no Em, will get back to writing for epic. 3 and hopefully stay on track updating once a week. Thanks for reading!

“I should go talk ta Rick, thangs were kinda tense tween him and Morgen when I left last night.” Daryl’s sleepy voice rumbled into her ear.

“Morgan?”

“The black guy that came with us. He and rick know each other ‘parently.”

“Oh, right. I didn’t pay much attention to who you were with to be honest.”

“It’s alrigh’, gotta check on the bike too. You ok for a bit?”

Em let out a deep breath, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Gotta toughen up, right. Thank you Daryl, for last night….for everything.”

“Seriously, Em? There’s no way in hell ya should be thankin’ me for sex. I’m the one needs to be thankin’ you, shit!” he bit his thumb.

“I didn’t mean just that, you took the time to help me when I was overwhelmed, you opened up to me…….and the sex too?” she laughed a little.

Daryl laughed with her “Little brother got laid! “ Merle jovial voice rang in his head, ”It was beautiful Daryl” Beth laughed also. He felt good, he was almost ready to just stay in bed and enjoy the good feelings he had for the rest of the day but he was sure, if he didn’t go to Rick, Rick would come to him.

“I’ll be back soon,” he shyly gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

“Don’t think much will be done today with everthin’ that happened.”

“I’ll stay home Daryl. Don’t worry.” she hugged him tightly then let him go to get dressed.

>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<

“Don’t want to keep him in there longer than we have to.” Rick stood by him as checked the hoses on his bike.

“Naw,” Daryl agreed. “Tell ya about those guys he met? The W’s.”

“Yeah, we need more check points, I’m gonna tell Deanne we don’t need to be looking for more people too.”

Daryl felt his heart clench, “Fuck it bro, didn’t think you should be puttin’ yer ass on the line any damn way.” _Then what the hell am I gonna do here? We need people, he’s wrong._

“Feel different about it?”

“Yeah.”

“Those people out there, need to take care of themselves.” Rick walked off without waiting for an answer.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<

She was trying to think of something to make to eat, the entire house was empty. She’d just settled on some pasta when she heard the front door open. She really hoped it was Daryl, it hadn’t been that long since he’d left but he had promised not to take too long. She audibly gasped when Rick walked into the kitchen and flinched when she saw his eyes narrow at her.

“Rick, I, uh, I thought you were Daryl.”

“Daryl’s out messing with his bike.”

“Oh, OK.”

“Yeah,” Rick shook his head and turned to leave, clearly unhappy with her and her response to him.

“Rick, wait.” she hated this tension between them. Rick turn back to her, hands on his hips.

“I talked to Daryl last night. He explained some things.” she began.

“Oh, you get it now?” he answered sarcastically.

“No,” she answered honestly.

“Well, you’d better. You and everyone in this town had better, or your dead.” Rick was clearly very angry still and she berated herself for not waiting to have this conversation much later or when Daryl was around.

“It's just that you killed someone, so…” she tried to find the words to explain, but Rick cut her off.

“He killed, he was a danger.”

“I know but it was an accident and..”

“He beat his kids and his wife. We can’t take chances.”

“You took a chance on me.” she stammered.

“Yeah, you regrettin’ that, Em? Cause I’m startin’ to wonder if you’ll just end up dead anyway.”

“What does that mean?” Em was getting even more scared than she had been before, this conversation was not going how she’d planned.

“It means if you don’t change soon, you will die, either the walkers or people, but someone will get you. Why can’t any of you see that I’m just trying to keep you alive?!” he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“I do see Rick.” she let out a breath, finally they were back on track. “I’m not saying I don’t see. After everything Daryl told me, I see why you feel the way you feel. It’s just I don’t understand.”

Rick squinted his eyes at her in confusion.

“I don’t think it’s possible to really understand. Not until you’ve lived it.” Rick opened his mouth to say something but Em hurried on, “I just wanted to say that I get it, there are things you went through to make you how you are but I haven’t gone through them and sometimes your reactions might …..scare and ….confuse me but I’m not turning my back on you. I understand You and Daryl and the rest of the group know first hand how to survive this and I’m going to follow your lead.”

Rick laughed a little at her speech, “Daryl’s lead.” he corrected her.

Em smiled a little, “Daryl is the most important person in this world to me, so I guess I’ll follow his lead in following your lead.” Rick tilted his head, and gave another small laugh.

“He has complete faith in you, you know, not that you are infallible but he believes you are the best leader we can ever have.”

“Yeah, no pressure.” Rick rubbed his eyebrows with his right hand, sounding tired.

“No pressure Rick.” she shyly placed a hand on his elbow. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Rick let out a sigh and patted the hand on his elbow. “I’d a probably had the same reaction back in the beginning.”

Em nodded, glad they were back on friendly terms, “I’m making you something to eat, then you can go back to running this town.”

“That’s Deanne.” he answered sitting at the counter, “but thanks for the food.”

“Welcome.” she answered.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

“We got a meetin’ Em. Rick found some stuff, we need to take care of it.”

“What stuff?”

“A damn canyon full of walkers.” Daryl gripped her shoulders, “We’ll take care of it.”

“How?”

“Rick has a plan. Let’s go?” Daryl was half-way to the door when he noticed that Em hadn’t followed, she was frozen, eyes wide with fright.

“We’ll take care of it Em. We got a plan.” he walked back to her and gave her a reassuring hug. “We’ll get this done.”

“Right,” she nodded straightening her spine, “yes, we’ll get this done. Let’s go.” Daryl smiled at her proudly.

>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<

“We need volunteers.” Rick looked around the group gathered together in Deanne's living room. Em bit her lip as people started to raise their hands, Daryl was going, she didn’t want to be left behind again. She began raising her hand but Daryl caught it mid-way and shook his head.

“I’ll go too,” she raised her other hand, giving Daryl an apologetic look.

“Em?” Rick questioned looking between her and Daryl.

“I can do this. I want to do this.” she pleaded with Daryl, he would make the decision not Rick, for her anyway.

“Fine.” Daryl growled.

“OK,” Rick nodded.

“Go over the plan again.” Parker insisted after further discussion.

“Again, he just told you!” Daryl snapped at the man, clearly still upset by Em’s decision.

“Again,” the man insisted. “All of it.”

Daryl huffed and got up, dragging Em out of the room after him. Nobody stopped them from leaving.

“I don’t like this,” he told her as soon as they were back in their room. “You’d be safer here.”

Em looked out the window, trying to gather her thoughts and not show Daryl how scared she was of both options.

Daryl rubbed his temples and sat at the end of the bed, “You wanna keep her, you gotta train her little brother. What better time than now? Lest y’all gonna have them biters under control.” _What if somethin’ goes wrong? She gonna be there in a sea a dem motherfuckers!_ “Daryl, she needs to learn, I made it out there with you. I can do it, so can she.” _FUUUUCKKKK!_

Daryl grabbed the closest thing to him, which happened to be a plastic mug and threw it, startling Em from her own thoughts.

“Daryl,” she walked to him and placed her hands in his, rubbing his palms with her thumbs soothingly. “It isn’t safe anywhere, Pete killed a man, simply because he was closest to him, it seemed like an accident, it could have been anyone, including me. I could have died without you. I know now that dying is a constant danger and if I’m going to go, I want to be beside you. It’s the only thing I want.”

“I don’t think I can watch you die, Em.” he let his shoulders slump in defeat. “Not after Merle and…” he took a deep breath, “not after..” he swallowed, “….not after, Beth. I had to put my brother down and I had to carry Beth’s body to her screaming sister. I’m not sure I can handle much more of that.”

“I’ll promise you the only thing I can promise, Daryl. I’ll do my damnedest not to die, whether here or out there.”

Daryl looked up at her, “Follow my lead always and you are riding with Abe and Sasha, I can’t have you riding behind me where I can’t see if you are in danger or not.”

“Yes sir.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Of course everything had to go wrong. Daryl dragged Em to the car shoving her roughly into the back seat as Sasha and Abe got in.

“I’ll be with you in a bit, don’t get out of the car.” Em nodded with wide eyes and Daryl fought the urge to kiss her, “For once I’m gonna say now ain’t the time little brother, but y’all can celebrate after,” Merle’s excited voice buzzed in his ear. _Shut up asshole_!

“Be safe Daryl.” Em gripped his hand, “See you after.”

He nodded and closed the door.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<

For a few minutes Em was sure that Daryl was never going to let her out of the house again, let alone Alexandria, but everything was going well. They meet up with Daryl on his bike and were successfully leading the heard in the right direction. Everything was going as planned.

Then the horn started blaring, and everything went to hell.


End file.
